Manchester United v Leeds United: Premier League – live
Key events
Mixed news for Farke and Leeds. Anton Stach and Joe Rodon were injured in the team’s FA Cup tie at West Ham last weekend, but Gabi Gudmundsson (groin), Jaka Bijol (knock) and Noah Okafor (back) have all beaten fitness tests to take their place in the starting XI tonight. This is an attacking line-up from the visitors, make no mistake.
If you are wondering where Kobbie Mainoo is, he’s injured, which means Ugarte comes in for a rare start. The Uruguayan, a €50m purchase in 2024, has been linked with a move away this summer, with Newcastle a potential destination.
Harry Maguire is suspended, so Martínez gets the nod.
Mainoo, meanwhile …
What a difference a few months make. The midfielder was an outcast under Amorim. Speaking of the Portuguese, the reverse fixture of tonight’s game in January proved to be Amorim’s final game in charge of Manchester United.
The teams!
Manchester United (4-2-3-1): Lammens; Mazraoui, Yoro, Martínez, Shaw; Casemiro, Ugarte; Diallo, Fernandes, Cunha; Sesko.
Subs: Bayindir, Dalot, Fletcher, Heaven, Lacey, Malacia, Mbeumo, Mount, Zirkzee.
Leeds United (3-4-2-1): Darlow; Justin, Bijol, Struijk; Bogle, Ampadu, Tanaka, Gudmundsson; Aaronson, Okafor; Calvert-Lewin
Subs: Bornauw, Buonanotte, Byram, Perri, Gnonto, Gruev, Longstaff, Piroe, Nmecha.
Preamble
It probably escaped you that over the three-week Premier League hiatus that Bruno Fernandes won the division’s player of the month prize for March, after his two goals and four assists in only four matches took Manchester United to the heady heights of third place.
Fernandes has now won that award six times, level with Steven Gerrard and Cristiano Ronaldo and only three players have only ever won the Premier League player of the month award seven times: Harry Kane, Sergio Agüero and Mohamed Salah. Fernandes is in good company, then, especially playing for a side that has traditionally (at least since he arrived in 2020) pottered around mid-table.
Manchester United are on something of a tear at the moment, with just one defeat since mid-January and Fernandes the heartbeat of the team. United now seem more than likely to qualify for the Champions League – it was confirmed last week that the Premier League will have five qualification spots (United can thank Arsenal for that, with the Gunners’ victory over Sporting ensuring a top-two finish in Uefa coefficient table) and United are seven points clear of sixth-placed Chelsea before this game in hand. Michael Carrick has done a fine job as manager, and surely enough to keep it for next season?
Leeds travel to Old Trafford tonight with much less of a buffer to the teams below – just three points separate themselves and Tottenham in the relegation zone. Getting something from this game would be a huge bonus.
Daniel Farke’s own position at Leeds has come under pressure this season – officials chose not to sack him in early December – and what a good decision that proved to be. Leeds have lost just three games in 2026 (which include defeats to Arsenal and Manchester City) and with the fans back on side and a relatively kind run-in, Leeds are not the favourites to go down. There are not many promoted teams recently that can say that, so kudos to Leeds and Farke.
Old Trafford under the lights, two historic rivals going at it with plenty on the line. This should be a good’un.
Kick-off: 8pm BST.
