Preview: Bournemouth vs Manchester United - prediction, team news, lineups

Bournemouth will welcome Manchester United to the Vitality Stadium on Friday night for a matchday 31 clash in the Premier League.

The Cherries are looking to extend a 10-game unbeaten run in the league, while the Red Devils resume their fight to finish in the Champions League places.

Match preview

Bournemouth's 2025-26 Premier League campaign thus far can be split into three distinct phases - a fantastic start, a difficult winter period and their current unbeaten run.

The Cherries looked set to make a surprise push for European football after an impressive start to the league season, which included a number of superb performances as well as five wins, three draws and just one defeat.

Bournemouth failed to build on that throughout winter, enduring a miserable 11-game winless run from November until early 2026, when they finally secured a victory against Tottenham Hotspur (3-2).

That marked the beginning of Bournemouth's current 10-game unbeaten run in the Premier League, with four wins and six draws lifting the Cherries to 10th in the standings.

Now with just eight games remaining, Bournemouth have an outside chance of qualifying for Europe, especially as eighth place could still award qualification come the end of the season.

A win would be enough to take Bournemouth above Everton and into eighth, at least before the weekend's fixtures, though the Cherries will need to end their run of four consecutive draws to claim all three points.

The inability to turn draws into victories has been a consistent problem for Andoni Iraola's side this season, demonstrated by no team recording more than Bournemouth's 14 stalemates in the league.

The Cherries will look to take confidence from their recent encounters with Manchester United, having won two and drawn three of their last five competitive meetings, including a thrilling 4-4 draw earlier this campaign.

However, Man Utd appear to have turned a corner since the difficulties they faced under Erik ten Hag and Ruben Amorim, which included those results against the Cherries.

Since Michael Carrick's appointment as interim manager in mid-January, no team has earned more than Manchester United's tally of 22 points.

Man Utd have won seven, drawn one and lost only one of their nine games under Carrick, including particularly notable triumphs against Manchester City (3-1), Arsenal (3-2) and Aston Villa (3-1).

Consequently, the rejuvenated Red Devils have risen to third in the table with 54 points, holding a six-point lead over sixth-placed Chelsea in the ongoing four-team battle for three Champions League spots.

Man Utd will now aim to further strengthen their Champions League chances by claiming another three points on Friday, which would move them six points clear of fourth-placed Aston Villa ahead of the weekend's games.

The Red Devils have had their challenges on the road this season, picking up only 21 points from 15 away league games compared to 33 points from 15 home fixtures.

Carrick's only defeat as Man Utd manager also came away from home, losing 2-1 to Newcastle United, leaving the manager eager to build on last weekend's win with an away triumph on Friday.

Bournemouth Premier League form:

Bournemouth form (all competitions):

Manchester United Premier League form:

Manchester United form (all competitions):

Team News

Bournemouth are expected to remain without the services of Justin Kluivert, Lewis Cook, Tyler Adams and Julio Soler due to injury issues.

David Brooks has created more big chances (seven) than any other Bournemouth player this season, and the attacker could return to the starting 11 for the first time since a 1-1 draw with Sunderland in late February.

Elsewhere, Marcus Tavernier could shift into a more central role, with Rayan and Evanilson retaining their positions in Bournemouth's forward line.

Manchester United are still unable to call upon Lisandro Martinez, Matthijs de Ligt and Patrick Dorgu due to injuries that are anticipated to keep the trio sidelined until April.

After moving to 16 assists for the season against Aston Villa, club captain Bruno Fernandes is now just four shy of the Premier League record, and the Portuguese maestro will aim to add to his tally on Friday.

The attacking midfielder should be supported by a forward line of Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo and Amad Diallo, while Benjamin Sesko will look to make an impact from the bench once again.

Bournemouth possible starting lineup:

Petrovic; Smith, Hill, Senesi, Truffert; Scott, Christie; Brooks, Tavernier, Rayan; Evanilson

Manchester United possible starting lineup:

Lammens; Dalot, Yoro, Maguire, Shaw; Casemiro, Mainoo; Diallo, Fernandes, Cunha; Mbeumo

We say: Bournemouth 1-2 Manchester United

Bournemouth may be enjoying a lengthy unbeaten run and hold a strong recent record in this fixture, but Manchester United have been one of the league's standout sides since Carrick's appointment and will be expected to win this one.

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