West Bromwich Albion vs Manchester United. Premier League.
The HawthornsAttendance24,878.
Sunday 6 March 2016 15:56, UK
Manchester United defender Chris Smalling is back in contention for his side's clash at West Brom on Super Sunday.
Smalling has missed United's last three matches with a shoulder complaint, and could be back to bolster the defence as United look for a fifth straight win in all competitions.
West Brom have won two of their last three Premier League games to ease any relegation concerns, and earned a credible 2-2 draw at leaders Leicester on Tuesday night.
Team news
Along with Smalling, Antonio Valencia and Marouane Fellaini may also be involved in the clash at the Hawthorns.
Michael Carrick is also set to be involved, having been rested against Watford on Wednesday.
Jones (ankle), Valencia (foot) and Fellaini (hamstring) will also be assessed as they make their return from injury, with manager Louis van Gaal to decide whether to use them or let them improve their fitness with the U21s on Monday.
Wayne Rooney, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Will Keane and Luke Shaw remain absent, while Cameron Borthwick-Jackson is also expected to miss out.
For West Brom, former United defender Jonny Evans is not yet ready to return due to a hamstring injury that has kept the defender out of the Baggies' past two fixtures.
Manager Tony Pulis has confirmed he will not feature, along with his Northern Ireland colleague Chris Brunt, who found out this week he will miss the next six months having ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament.
Pulis will also be without Callum McManaman (ankle) and James Morrison (hamstring) for the visit of Louis van Gaal's men.
Opta stats
West Bromwich Albion have lost just two of the last six Premier League matches against Manchester United (W2 D2 L2).
Manchester United named their fourth youngest starting XI in Premier League history in their last game against Watford (23 years, 222 days old on average).
In May 2013, this fixture saw the highest scoring draw in Premier League history when the two sides drew 5-5 in Sir Alex Ferguson's final game in charge.
The Baggies have kept just one clean sheet in their 19 Premier League games against the Red Devils.
Louis van Gaal's side have won just one of their last seven Premier League away games (W1 D3 L3).
West Brom have attempted 85 shots on target this season, fewer than any other team in the Premier League.
Salomon Rondon has scored in three of his last five Premier League games, having failed to score in his previous nine in the competition.
Pulis has lost 11 of his 13 Premier League games against Manchester United (W1 D1).
Manchester United are unbeaten in nine Premier League visits to the Hawthorns (W7 D2) - the only instance of a team going nine or more away PL games against one opponent at the same venue without defeat.
Only against Chelsea (14) have West Brom lost more Premier League games than versus Manchester United (13).
Merson's prediction
Man Utd have turned the corner and sometimes you just need a little bit of luck. I thought they were lucky against Watford, who had a couple of chances and probably two months ago they would have scored and come away with a 2-0 win and everybody would have been booing. But they score in the last five minutes and everybody goes home happy, they are on a roll.
Man City have just opened up the possibility of Champions League qualification for everybody, so instead of Liverpool and Man Utd looking forward to the Europa League on Thursday, these are now bigger football matches. And if you had said that three weeks ago, I would have said: 'No chance.'
But I am going to for Man Utd 2-1 as I think they are rolling now.
Paul predicts: 1-2 (Sky Bet Odds 8/1)
