CSKA Moscow v Man Utd preview: United aim for second CL win

Manchester United head to Russia in good form with five wins from their last six games, but they face a CSKA Moscow side that is yet to suffer defeat at home this season.

Louis van Gaal has taken 20 players to Moscow with Champions League Group B delicately poised - all four teams in the group are on three points after two games.

Wednesday night's match marks the start of four games in 10 days for Manchester United, as they welcome Middlesbrough to Old Trafford in the Capital One Cup either side of Manchester City (home) and Crystal Palace (away) in the Premier League.

CSKA Moscow are five points clear at the top of the Russian Premier League after their 3-2 win over mid-table FC Ural on Saturday.

They are yet to suffer defeat in their domestic league so far this season, and got back to winning ways in the Champions League with a 3-2 win over PSV Eindhoven at the Arena Khimki after opening their campaign with a 1-0 away defeat to Wolfsburg.

Team news

Manchester United will be without James Wilson, Ashley Young and Paddy McNair for the fixture. Young (calf) was injured against Arsenal before the international break while McNair is still recovering from the abdominal injury he suffered while playing for Northern Ireland.

Striker Wilson (illness) trained on Tuesday but has been left at home by manager Louis van Gaal, while Luke Shaw (ankle) is a long-term absentee.

CSKA Moscow do not have any injury concerns.

Opta stats

Leonid Slutsky's side are top of the Russian League with 32 points from 12 games - the only dropped points came in draws with Zenit St Petersburg and Lokomotiv Moscow, but they have only won three of their last 14 Champions League matches.

CSKA Moscow winger Zoran Tosic had a spell at Manchester United in the 2009/10 season, making five appearances. 

Wayne Rooney's hat-trick against Club Brugge was his first European hat-trick since his Manchester United debut against Fenerbahce in 2004. Rooney has scored 36 European goals for United - two behind Ruud van Nistelrooy's club record.

Manchester United have lost three of their last five away games in all competitions. Going further back, they have won just nine of last 26 Premier League games on the road.

Anthony Martial has scored four goals in eight appearances for United, including three in five in the Premier League, but he has not scored in his last four in all competitions.

Charlie Nicholas' prediction

I have to say United surprised me at Goodison Park and that is a really stunning result for them to bounce back from their 3-0 defeat at the Emirates, producing such an such an impressive win.

It was important for Rooney to get a goal and, while Martial is beginning to settle down a bit and Memphis Depay isn't really capturing my imagination in terms of fitting into the system, I do quite like it when Ander Herrera and Morgan Schneiderlin play together.  

I do think United will get something but this is a difficult game and I think they'd be happy to get a draw.

Charlie predicts: 1-1 - Herrera to score first (55/1 with Sky Bet)

Betting

Manchester United are Sky Bet's 6/4 favourites ahead of their trip to Russia to face CSKA Moscow, who are 15/8 with the draw available at 9/4. All four sides Group B are level on three points but United head the betting at 10/11 to finish top and are 22/1 shots to secure a fourth Champions League crown. United won 1-0 when the sides last met in the Russian capital in 2009 and it's 7/1 they secure victory by the same margin on Wednesday.

Two of United's three defeats this season have been by a 2-1 margin and CSKA are 9/1 to repeat that outcome. Martial and Rooney are 2/1 favourites to net anytime for the visitors with the England captain a 4/1 shot to net in a United win.