Who:\u00a0<\/strong>Manchester United vs Liverpool Manchester United host old rivals Liverpool for a game that could prove crucial in the battle for Champions League qualification.<\/p>\n list of 4 items<\/span>end of list<\/span><\/section>\n United have improved considerably \u2060under caretaker boss Michael Carrick, who took charge following Ruben Amorim\u2019s dismissal.<\/p>\n They sit third in the table, three points ahead of Liverpool, and need two more points to secure a top-five finish and a spot among Europe\u2019s elite next season.<\/p>\n Liverpool come into the match on the back of three successive Premier League wins.<\/p>\n Carrick believes Manchester United against Liverpool is always a \u201cstandout\u201d fixture even though neither of the clubs are challenging for the Premier League title this season.<\/p>\n \u201cCertainly one of my favourite games, without doubt it\u2019s a standout game,\u201d the United boss said. \u201cThere\u2019s big games and big rivalries that we have with other teams, but certainly this one is right up there.<\/p>\n \u201cThe history, the ups and downs the past has produced in these types of games and the excitement and entertainment, and the emotion, which is a huge part of it. It makes it a really special game.\u201d<\/p>\n The former United midfielder said the club had made great strides since last season, when they finished a miserable 15th in the table, 42 points behind champions Liverpool.<\/p>\n \u201cI just think this probably shows the improvements of the group, really, and getting stronger,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd to be coming into this game in such a good position, on the back of good results, and trying to achieve and moving forward.<\/p>\n \u201cSo, fully aware of the situation in the league and how close it is between us. But that\u2019s not something, really, we\u2019ve focused on going into this game. I think it\u2019s a one-off game.\u201d<\/p>\n Manchester United captain Bruno \u2060Fernandes is one assist away from the single-season record of 20 shared by Thierry \u2060Henry and Kevin De Bruyne.<\/p>\n Carrick believes Fernandes should be rewarded with the league\u2019s Player of the Year award for his performances this season.<\/p>\n \u201cHopefully he does [win it],\u201d Carrick said after Monday\u2019s 2-1 win over Brentford.<\/p>\n \u201cHe deserves it for the impact he has had and the moments he\u2019s created, whether it\u2019s creating or scoring or having other influence within the group. He\u2019s had a big season.\u201d<\/p>\n Liverpool forward \u2060Mohamed Salah will miss \u2060Sunday\u2019s game due to a muscle injury, but manager Arne Slot confirmed on Friday that he was expected to return before the end \u2060of the season.<\/p>\n Salah was forced off during Liverpool\u2019s 3-1 win over Crystal Palace last week with a hamstring concern, prompting fears it could end his campaign and potentially his Anfield career, with the Egyptian \u2060set to leave at the end of the campaign.<\/p>\n Liverpool said on Wednesday the injury was not as serious as initially feared and that Salah should feature again before the campaign concludes.<\/p>\n \u201cAs we know from Mo [Salah], he is always working incredibly hard when he is fit but also when he is injured to be back \u200cas soon as possible,\u201d Slot told reporters.<\/p>\n \u201cWe expect him to be back for the final part of the season but not for Sunday [against Man Utd].<\/p>\n \u201cIn all ways, it is a big relief that his injury is minor, so he is able to play for us and at the World Cup. If ever there was a player that deserves a big send-off, it is definitely Mo.\u201d<\/p>\n Slot praised Carrick for improving United and stressed the importance of the game.<\/p>\n \u201cWe \u2060are aware of the fact that it is a very big game, not only because we play United but also to qualify for Champions League and \u2060to get the highest possible position in the league table,\u201d \u2060Slot said.<\/p>\n \u201cWe always know that they are really good but now they are showing it in the league table. It might be a bit of an advantage that they only play once a week.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen we have played them every time, I have seen \u200chow good they are and now they have, especially under Michael Carrick, become more consistent in their results.\u201d<\/p>\n The two clubs have met on 243 occasions, with Manchester United winning 92 games to Liverpool\u2019s 82, while 71 of the matches ended as draws.<\/p>\n Last five encounters:<\/strong><\/p>\n Harry Maguire scored a late winner as United beat Liverpool 2-1 at Anfield in October to inflict a then fourth straight defeat on the champions.<\/p>\n Bryan Mbeumo put United in front after two minutes and although Cody Gakpo equalised in the 78th minute, Maguire grabbed his club\u2019s first win at Anfield since 2016 with an 84th-minute header.<\/p>\n Carrick said forward Matheus Cunha had returned to training after a recent injury setback and should feature and he also said he was hopeful that Luke Shaw would be fit enough to play.<\/p>\n Matthijs de Ligt is still working his way back to full fitness and will not be involved against Liverpool.<\/p>\n Lammens (goalkeeper); Dalot, Maguire, Heaven, Shaw; Casemiro, Mainoo; Mbeumo, Fernandes, Cunha; Sesko<\/p>\n Goalkeeper Alisson Becker is still out with an injury, but Slot said he is \u201cvery close\u201d to being able to train with the squad again.<\/p>\n Deputy keeper Giorgi Mamardashvili is also sidelined for several weeks after sustaining a knee wound in the Merseyside derby win over Everton in April, so third-choice stopper Freddie Woodman is set to continue in goal after impressing in the 3-1 win over Crystal Palace last weekend.<\/p>\n Along with Salah, Conor Bradley, Giovanni Leoni and Hugo Ekitike\u00a0are also unavailable due to injury \u2013 with the latter set to miss the World Cup with a ruptured Achilles tendon.<\/p>\n Left-back Milos Kerkez is a doubt as he has been nursing a knock.<\/p>\n Predicted starting XI:<\/strong><\/p>\n Woodman (goalkeeper); Jones, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson; Gravenberch, Mac Allister; Szoboszlai, Wirtz, Gakpo; Isak<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Who:\u00a0Manchester United vs LiverpoolWhat:\u00a0Premier LeagueWhere:\u00a0Old Trafford, ManchesterWhen:\u00a0Sunday, May 3 at 3:30pm (14:30 GMT)How to follow:\u00a0We\u2019ll have all the build-up on\u00a0Al Jazeera Sport from 11:30 GMT in advance of our live text commentary stream. Manchester United host old rivals Liverpool for a game that could prove crucial in the battle for Champions League qualification. Recommended Stories […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":21184,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-21183","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-europe-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21183","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=21183"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21183\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/21184"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=21183"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=21183"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=21183"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
What:<\/strong>\u00a0Premier League
Where:\u00a0<\/strong>Old Trafford, Manchester
When:\u00a0<\/strong>Sunday, May 3 at 3:30pm (14:30 GMT)
How to follow:\u00a0<\/strong>We\u2019ll have all the build-up on\u00a0Al Jazeera Sport from 11:30 GMT in advance of our live text commentary stream.<\/p>\nRecommended Stories <\/h2>\n
United boss Carrick relishes \u2018special\u2019 Liverpool rivalry<\/h2>\n
Fernandes and the art of the assist as record beckons<\/h2>\n
![\"Soccer](\"https:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/reuters_69f48e46-1777634886.jpg?w=770&resize=770%2C529&quality=80\")
Salah ruled out of United game but will return before end of season<\/h2>\n
![\"Soccer](\"https:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/reuters_69f48eea-1777635050.jpg?w=770&resize=770%2C513&quality=80\")
\u2018I have seen \u200chow good they are\u2019<\/h2>\n
Head-to-head<\/h2>\n
\n
What happened in the last game between the two sides?<\/h2>\n
![\"LIVERPOOL,](\"https:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/getty_68f523067b-1760895750.jpg?w=770&resize=770%2C501&quality=80\")
United\u2019s team news<\/h2>\n
Predicted starting XI:<\/h2>\n
Liverpool\u2019s team news<\/h2>\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"