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

Champions League football has been secured for Manchester United, but the future of interim head coach Michael Carrick is yet to be decided ahead of Saturday’s Premier League clash with Sunderland at the Stadium of Light.

The Red Devils are looking to complete their ninth Premier League double over the Black Cats after winning 2-0 in the reverse fixture at Old Trafford seven months ago.

Match preview

After a challenging 2025-26 campaign without European football, Man United will be back in the Champions League next season after securing a 3-2 victory over rivals Liverpool at Old Trafford last weekend, with local lad Kobbie Mainoo netting a late winner.

The Red Devils finished down in 15th place under former boss Ruben Amorim last season, but if they beat Sunderland this weekend and Liverpool fail to win their next match against Chelsea, Carrick’s side are guaranteed to secure third place with two games to spare.

No Premier League team has accumulated more points than Man United since the arrival of Carrick in mid-January (32), while the 20-time English champions have also won more league games (10) under the 44-year-old than they managed in their first 20 matches of the season under Amorim (W8 D7 L5).

Carrick has been heavily backed by several members of his rejuvenated squad to become the permanent Man United manager, and he suggested this week that he is expecting the club to communicate their decision on his future before the end of the month.

In the meantime, Man United will endeavour to claim a fourth successive Premier League win and improve their record at the Stadium of Light, where they have lost just one of their 15 visits in the top flight (W10 D4).

Since beating Tottenham 1-0 on home soil on April 12, Sunderland have failed to win any of their last three Premier League games and their hopes of qualifying for European competition seem to be slipping away.

Eight days after suffering a heavy 5-0 home loss to Nottingham Forest, the Black Cats were held to a 1-1 draw by basement club Wolves at Molineux last weekend in a game that saw Daniel Ballard controvertibly sent off in the first half for pulling the hair of an opponent – a decision which has since been appealed.

With Sunderland sitting 12th in the table and four points behind the top seven with only three games remaining, head coach Regis Le Bris hopes that his team “will be proud” at the end of a season in which they have exceeded expectations and have never been in danger of the drop.

“A challenging fixture” against Man United awaits Sunderland, who have prevailed in only three of their 33 Premier League encounters with the Red Devils. Their 24 defeats in this matchup are more than they have suffered against any other team in the division.

The Black Cats, who have lost four of their last five home games, have also failed to win any of their last 28 top-flight matches against teams starting the day in the top four of the table (D9 L19) since securing a 2-1 victory away against Chelsea in April 2014 under former boss Gus Poyet.

Sunderland Premier League form:

Manchester United Premier League form:

Team News

Sunderland defender Ballard will begin serving a three-match suspension and Romaine Mundle (hamstring) remains injured, but Nilson Angulo (unspecified) and Bertrand Traore (knee) have taken part in training this week after lengthy spells in the treatment room and may be named in the matchday squad.

Either Luke O’Nien or Lutsharel Geertruida is set to replace Balland and partner Omar Alderete at centre-back. Nordi Mukiele is also an option to begin at the heart of the defence if he is not chosen to start at right-back.

Granit Xhaka has scored more goals from outside the penalty area against Man United (three) than any other player, and the Black Cats captain could be joined in centre-midfield by Noah Sadiki and Habib Diarra, the latter of whom is hoping to earn a recall to the first XI.

As for Man United, Matthijs de Ligt (back) remains out injured and Benjamin Sesko is a minor doubt with a shin issue picked up against Liverpool that forced the striker to be withdrawn at half time – Carrick did not address Sesko’s fitness at his pre-match press conference.

However, Lisandro Martinez is available to return from a three-game suspension and is expected to replace Ayden Heaven at centre-back, while Luke Shaw should continue at left-back despite the return to fitness of Patrick Dorgu.

Bruno Fernandes is just one assist away from the all-time record of 20 for a single Premier League season, and the playmaker is expected to continue in an advanced central midfield role, while Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo and ex-Sunderland loanee Amad Diallo all battle for starts out wide.

Sunderland possible starting lineup:

Roefs; Mukiele, O’Nien, Alderete, Reinildo; Xhaka, Sadiki; Talbi, Diarra, Le Fee; Brobbey

Manchester United possible starting lineup:

Lammens; Dalot, Maguire, Martinez, Shaw; Casemiro, Mainoo; Mbeumo, Fernandes, Cunha; Sesko

We say: Sunderland 1-2 Manchester United

Sunderland’s recent home form does not make for good reading (W1 L4), but you can expect the Black Cats to be fired up for their penultimate home game of the season in front of a sell-out crowd, with Le Bris's men still harbouring aspirations of a top-seven finish.

The hosts will back themselves to score given that Man United have conceded in eight of their last 10 Premier League games, but we can envisage the in-form visitors outscoring their opponents en route to a narrow victory.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.