Manchester United vs AZ Alkmaar preview

Team news, stats and prediction as Manchester United host AZ Alkmaar in the Europa League.

• Europa League tables
• Europa League permutations

Team news

Jesse Lingard looks set to join Paul Pogba on the sidelines when Manchester United host AZ Alkmaar in the Europa League.

The attacking midfielder picked up a knock in the win against Manchester City and was absent from training on Wednesday, as was Pogba having not featured since September due to an ankle injury.

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Nemanja Matic is fit again and Phil Jones will be available, but the match is likely to come too soon for Diogo Dalot. Marcos Rojo, Timothy Fosu Mensah and Eric Bailly are also building fitness.

State of play

Both Man Utd and AZ Alkmaar are through to the knockout stages, with the pair fighting it out for top spot in Group L. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side need a draw to go through as group winners, while AZ Alkmaar need to win.

• When is the Europa League draw?
• Ole: We've come through sticky patch

Opta stats

• The only previous meeting between Manchester United and AZ Alkmaar finished 0-0 on MD2 of this season's Europa League, with the United failing to record a shot on target in the game.
• Man Utd have won six of their eight previous home games against Dutch sides in all competitions, drawing with PSV in November 2015 (Champions League) and losing against Ajax in February 2012 (Europa League).
• AZ Alkmaar have lost all five of their away matches against English sides in all competitions, most recently a 1-4 loss at the Emirates against Arsenal in November 2009.
• Mason Greenwood has been directly involved in 75 per cent of Manchester United's goals at Old Trafford in the Europa League this season (3/4), scoring two himself and providing one assist.
• Ferdy Druijf scored two goals versus FK Partizan in AZ Alkmaar's last Europa League game - of the six players aged 21 or under that have scored doubles in the competition this season, three of them have been for AZ Alkmaar (also Myron Boadu and Teun Koopmeiners).

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Charlie Nicholas' prediction

The job is done, and what a week it has been for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. The pressure is building from outside the club, but Solskjaer handles it well. He has not been snappy at the journalists but it is what it is. He got two gigantic wins against Tottenham and Manchester City.

I think he will want the momentum and get over that hurdle which says, have they turned the corner? With two wins, with AZ Alkmaar to come, they have the opportunity to continue this mini little run, so I think they will win comfortably.

CHARLIE PREDICTS: 2-0 (8/1 with Sky Bet)

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