It's Champions League time again, and an escape from recent domestic struggles as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side aim to build on the matchday two victory against Villarreal. The performance hardly warranted three points against the Spanish outfit but, converse to the meeting with Leicester at the weekend, United snatched an important European win.
It's the second of the three group stage matches held at Old Trafford, and the first of two successive meetings with Atalanta - who United have never faced before - as we reach the halfway stage.
The opening match defeat away to Young Boys sees United third in Group F with just the solitary win from the opening pair of matches, with Atalanta currently leading the way by a single point. The Italian side beat Young Boys by a goal-to-nil on home turf last time out in the competition, though were held to a 2-2 draw against Villarreal first time out. Nonetheless, they are currently in the midst of an 11-match unbeaten run on the road. A convincing 4-1 win away to Empoli at the weekend saw the away run continue, whilst United's defeat at the King Power was to the detriment of their 29-match Premier League unbeaten run on their travels.
Currently 10 points adrift of leaders Napoli - who have picked up maximum points from their opening eight games - Atalanta see themselves sixth in Serie A. The last three seasons have seen today's opponents finish an impressive third in arguably Europe's second most competitive elite division, but they have dropped an equal amount of domestic points as United so far this campaign. However, their recent run of five matches has seen wholesale victories aside from a draw against reigning champions Inter Milan and defeat to second place AC Milan.
United are set to be without Anthony Martial once again after the Frenchman picked up a knock on international duty, though he did train yesterday morning as he nears a return to full fitness. Raphael Varane also remains sidelined having picked up a groin injury away with Les Bleus, but Harry Maguire came through the Leicester encounter unscathed and is fit to feature despite looking considerably off the pace at the King Power.
Aaron Wan-Bissaka is now available after his European suspension was reduced to just the single match following United’s appeal. Fred and Edinson Cavani are also braced for a return to the squad following their exploits in South America; the former wasn't spotted at the team hotel, but guidelines mean he likely will travel separate to the squad having recently travelled back from a 'red list' country.
MEN have reported the squad as follows (from those spotted at the team hotel): De Gea, Henderson, Heaton; Maguire, Lindelof, Bailly, Wan-Bissaka, Dalot, Shaw, Telles; Matic, McTominay, Van de Beek, Pogba, Fernandes, Mata, Lingard; Sancho, Greenwood, Rashford, Elanga, Cavani, Ronaldo.
Atalanta are set to be without centre-back Rafael Toloi after he was taken off at the weekend. Robin Gosens - who made a name for himself with Germany at the Euros - also looks set to miss out along with Hans Hateboer and Bernat Djimsiti. Goalscorer against Young Boys, Matteo Pessina, is also poised to miss the trip.
Former Atalanta man Amad Diallo is nearing a return following the muscular issue which prevented a summer loan switch, but won't feature against his former club today. He “trained his first session with the team on Friday before Leicester and he's still continuing that rehab”. It’s likely that he will participate at under-23 level before the prospect of any first team action. By Christmas, it should be decided as to whether United and the player will again push for a loan.
The Ivorian has spoken highly of his former club during the week, "We must not underestimate Atalanta. If you underestimate Atalanta, you are making a huge mistake. They have got a great coach, a great team and they have got good fans. They press high, they don't let you play and they put you in difficulty."
Though the former is set to miss out today, Amad was keen to express that “the wingers - Gosens and Malinovsky - are strengths of theirs, they will give you a difficult game. Even when they don't have the ball, they will run a lot, especially those two. If you lose the ball, then you're in trouble because they run so much and they'll get it."
"You know, to represent the team in the Champions League is a dream. We’re talking about United - we’re not talking about a small team, we’re talking a team that’s won so much.”
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