Manchester United boss Ralf Rangnick is facing a race against time to take charge of the club’s Premier League clash with Arsenal this week.
The Red Devils confirmed the appointment of the German as their new interim manager until the end of the season on Monday.
Yet Rangnick is awaiting formal approval of a visa which could see Michael Carrick take charge of his third and final game in temporary charge.
Former England midfielder Carrick has overseen a upturn in form since Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s exit with a battling 1-1 draw against Chelsea on Sunday.
This Premier League clash will take place on Thursday, December 2.
It will be held at Old Trafford with a UK kick-off time of 8:15pm.
Arsenal are looking to win consecutive away league games against United for the first time since 1979 following a 1-0 win last season.
Man United v Arsenal: Team news
Manchester united can welcome back Harry Maguire after suspension but fellow centre-back Raphael Varane remains out.
Paul Pogba is also injured while the club will need to check on Luke Shaw and Edinson Cavani after the latter duo missed the Chelsea clash.
But Mason Greenwood was fit enough to make the bench at Stamford Bridge and is once again in contention to start.
Arteta meanwhile has a near-full strength side to choose from ahead of the crunch clash with the Red Devils.
Arsenal’s remain without midfielder Granit Xhaka and defender Sead Kolasinac who are both long-term absentees.
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Man United v Arsenal: Match stats
- Manchester United are winless in their last six Premier League meetings with Arsenal – they’ve never gone seven league games without a win against the Gunners before.Following their 1-0 win at Old Trafford last season, Arsenal are looking to win consecutive away league games against Manchester United for the first time since February 1979.
- Arsenal have kept a clean sheet in each of their last three meetings with Manchester United in all competitions, as many as they had in their previous 13 against them. They’ve never kept a clean sheet in four consecutive games against the Red Devils before.
- Manchester United have lost just two of their 14 Premier League matches on a Thursday (W8 D4), with those defeats coming at Middlesbrough in December 2002 (1-3) and at home to Liverpool in May last season (2-4).
- Each of the last eight Premier League goals at Old Trafford have been scored against Manchester United – the Red Devils have never previously conceded nine consecutive goals at the ground in the competition without replying themselves. The last time they had a run of eight home goals conceded without scoring in between was from February to March 2014.
- Coming into this round of matches, only Norwich City (2) have scored fewer away goals than Arsenal (3) in the Premier League this season, with the Gunners failing to score in four of their six games on the road. It’s the joint-fewest the Gunners have ever scored after six away games in a league season.
- Manchester United have picked up just five points in their last eight Premier League matches (W1 D2 L5), their fewest over an eight-game spell in Premier League history. They last picked up as few points in an eight-game spell in the same season between December 1989 and February 1990 (four – D4 L4).47% of the 15 Premier League goals scored by Arsenal players this season have been netted by players aged 21 or younger (Emile Smith Rowe 4, Bukayo Saka 2, Gabriel Martinelli 1).
- The Gunners’ highest in a single completed campaign in the competition is 39% in 2008-09 (25/64, excluding own goals).
- Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has scored in his last two away league games against Manchester United, and could become the first ever Arsenal player to score in three consecutive away games against the Red Devils.
- Cristiano Ronaldo has scored six goals in his 15 appearances against Arsenal in all competitions for Manchester United, though just one of these goals has come at Old Trafford (April 2008).
Mikel Arteta:
“We go game by game.
“After the defeat at Anfield, obviously you see things in a different perspective.
Maybe, but we’ve been on a good run and we have to carry on going and let’s see where it takes us.
But now let’s analyse this game and start to prepare the game against Man United as quick as possible because we don’t have many days.”
