Three points and five places separates high-flying Bournemouth and Manchester United in the Premier League, with the pair finalising preparations ahead of Sunday’s latest encounter.
United are licking their wounds following a midweek Carabao Cup defeat against Spurs, with Ruben Amorim aiming to build on his previous league outing against Manchester City.
The Portuguese tactician has enjoyed a mixed domestic spell during his short tenure, collecting two wins, one draw and two defeats from five attempts.
In contrast, the Cherries are unbeaten in four and have accumulated ten points from a possible twelve on offer.
Furthermore, Andoni Iraola has installed notable steel within the group, having earned impressive victories against Arsenal, City and Tottenham Hotspur this season.
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Ahead of the Red’s last game before Christmas, Amorim has confirmed that Marcus Rashford will be available for selection after two consecutive absences from first-team duty.
Victor Lindelof is a doubt, having limped off the field during Thursday’s defeat to Spurs, and Luke Shaw remains sidelined following his latest injury setback. Matthijs de Ligt was ruled out of midweek action with illness.
Unfortunately, Mason Mount is out of action for several more weeks after a prolonged period on the physio table. The former Chelsea man has endured a traumatic time with niggles and knocks since arriving in the North West, but he remains adamant about proving himself a success at the club.
“Words can’t portray how devastated I’m feeling right now, you could probably see the look on my face when it happened,” the attacker posted on his Instagram. “I knew what it meant.
“United fans, you may not know me too well yet, but one thing I can guarantee, I will never give up or lose faith.
“I’ve said this before, but I will continue to give everything, get through this tough period and won’t stop until that’s achieved.”
Bournemouth collected four points from both Premier League meetings last season, earning a 3-0 victory at Old Trafford in December.
That said, the Boscombe side has endured defeat in five of their seven trips to M16, conceding 18 goals in that time.
Anything but a Manchester United victory would see the 20-time English champions remain in the bottom half of the table at Christmas for the first time since the 1989-90 campaign.
A critical factor will be the home side’s ability to defend corner kicks, with 8 of the 19 goals conceded in the Premier League coming from the dead ball.
Action will get underway at 2:00 PM GMT on Sunday 22 December, with a capacity crowd anticipated at the Theatre of Dreams.
How do you see this playing out? Will United build on their Manchester derby joy?
Let us know in the comments or across our social channels.
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