It’s been a rough week for Manchester United, having lost in their return to Champions League action. It wasn’t a pleasant match at all for the Red Devils, and Louis Van Gall will be hoping to find a way to lead his side in a bounce back win over Southampton.
Manchester United vs. Southampton 2015 live stream: Time, TV schedule and how to watch online
Manchester United hit the road to face Southampton, hoping to put their Champions League disappointment behind them.
Clive Brunskill/Getty Images
Southampton, of course, are no pushover themselves, though they’ve been struggling to find themselves to some degree this season. A number of departures in the transfer market forced them to bring in a number of new players, and they haven’t quite found their balance yet. Doing so against a team as good as Manchester United won’t be an easy task, but playing at home and playing them while they’re reeling from a surprise loss might be enough for the Saints to find a way to win this match.
Key player -- Victor Wanyama (Southampton)
Arguably the strongest area of the pitch for Manchester United is their attacking midfield group, with a variety of dangerous talents who can ruin the day of almost any team. That means that, especially with Jordy Clasie out injured, Southampton’s ability to defend against Manchester starts with and relies on Waynama. He has, unfortunately, not been as good without Morgan Schneiderlin alongside him, who now will be lining up against him after moving to Manchester last summer. Wanyama has the ability to be excellent, but he hasn’t regularly shown it this season. Southampton needs him to be excellent.
Key Matchup -- Cedric Soares (Southampton) vs. Memphis Depay (Manchester United)
Depay has been wonderful for Manchester this season, playing very, very well since joining from PSV this summer. He’s been the most regular and consistent threat in Manchester’s attack, and he’s the man that Southampton will have to be on guard to keep at bay. As the fullback on Depay’s side, it’s going to be up to Soares to, at minimum, slow Depay down. That’s not an easy task, but Soares has enjoyed a pretty solid season so far, so maybe, just maybe, he has a chance to get the job done.
Southampton injuries and suspensions
Out: Jordy Clasie (ankle), Florin Gardos (knee), Ryan Bertrand (knee), Frasier Forster (knee) In doubt: Gaston Ramirez (hamstring)
Manchester United injuries and suspensions
Out: Luke Shaw (leg), Phil Jones (blood clot) In doubt: Wayne Rooney (hamstring)
United will be desperately missing Shaw, who will be out for most if not all of the season after suffering a double fracture in his right leg during the midweek Champions League match. They’ll be alright depth-wise for now -- both Marcos Rojo and Daley Blind can play on the left -- but he’ll be badly missed all the same. Things are rather bad for Southampton, though, missing one of their best midfielders in Clasie for the next few weeks and likely losing their top goalkeeper for the season with a serious knee injury.
Match Date/Time: Sunday, 11 a.m. ET, 4 p.m. local
Venue: St Mary’s Stadium, Southampton, England
TV: NBCSN (U.S. - English), Telemundo, NBC Universo (U.S. - Spanish), Sportsnet One (Canada), Sky Sports 1/HD (U.K.)
Online: NBC Sports Live Extra (U.S.), Sportsnet World Now (Canada), Sky Go (U.K.)
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