There would have been few teams as relieved to see the international break crop up as Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur. Both sides are enduring abysmal starts to a Premier League season in terms of points tallies after five games (five for United and two for Spurs) and they are 12th and 20th on the table, respectively.
Michael Carrick isn't one to be flustered, but he knows a big performance (and result) is as important to him as it is to the more expressive Roberto De Zerbi. Both sides have their share of injury troubles to deal with, but all eyes will be on United's leaky defence and Spurs' misfiring attack -- it's a case of movable object meets stoppable force. Can either of them get their act together on Saturday?
Here's everything you need to know about the match.
How to watch:
The match will be available to watch on Sky Sports Main Event in the UK, NBC/Peacock in the U.S., JioHotstar in India, and Stan Sport in Australia. You can also follow ESPN's live updates here.
Key Details:
Date, kick-off time:
UK BST: Saturday, October 10, 5:30 p.m.
U.S ET: Saturday, October 10, 12:30 p.m.
India IST: Saturday, October 10, 10 p.m.
Australia AEST: Sunday, October 11, 2:30 a.m.
Venue: Old Trafford, Manchester
Referee: Stuart Atwell
VAR: Jarred Gillett
Injury and Team News
Manchester United
Amad, F: muscle, DOUBT
Matthijs de Ligt, D: back, OUT
Manuel Ugarte, M: ACL, OUT
Marcus Rashford, F: knock, DOUBT
Kobbie Mainoo, M: knock, DOUBT
Benjamin Sesko, F: shin, DOUBT
Karl Darlow, GK: knock, DOUBT
Tom Heaton, GK: abdominal injury; DOUBT
Noussair Mazraoui, D: back, DOUBT
Tottenham Hotspur
Dejan Kulusevski, M: knee, DOUBT
Jan Paul van Hecke, D: knock, DOUBT
Micky van de Ven, D: wrist, DOUBT
Pedro Porro, D: thigh, DOUBT
Xavi Simons, M: ACL, OUT
Mykhailo Mudryk, F: ankle, OUT
Wilson Odobert, F: ACL, OUT
Expected Lineups
Manchester United Predicted XI
Senne Lammens
Diogo Dalot | Harry Maguire | Lisandro Martínez | Luke Shaw
Kobbie Mainoo | Youri Tielemans
Bryan Mbeumo | Bruno Fernandes | Marcus Rashford
Matheus Cunha
Tottenham Hotspur Predicted XI
Antonin Kinsky
Archie Gray | Tosin Adarabioyo | Micky van de Ven | Destiny Udogie
Rodrigo Bentancur | Sandro Tonali
Sávio | Mateus Fernandes | Omar Marmoush
Dominic Solanke
Talking Points
Can Baleba and Amad, make a difference?
De Zerbi will know all about the qualities of Carlos Baleba, having managed him at Brighton & Hove Albion, and United fans will be keen to see just what the midfielder can do for their team's fortunes. He was an unused sub against Fulham but played in a behind-closed-doors game against Lausanne-Sport during the international break.
United have spent heavily on midfield but the combination of Youri Tielemans and Kobbie Mainoo (with Andrey Santos as backup) hasn't quite clicked as smoothly as Carrick would have expected. Can Baleba, either from the start or the bench, make a difference with his unique skillset?
Further forward, meanwhile, Amad's potential return could have a transformational impact. Amad's dribbling and directness was a huge plus for Carrick during the interim run that sealed his permanent promotion, and his untimely injury ahead of this season's started altered the dynamics of the forward line.
If Amad plays, Mbeumo could push back central, while United would have twin ball carrying threats on either flank (the left being covered by either Rashford or Cunha).
Spurs need a win. Big time
Two points in five games, with two draws and three losses. Two goals scored, eight goals conceded. Bottom of the table. None of this is what anyone connected with Spurs envisaged after De Zerbi was given an expensive array of summer signings.
Before the international break, De Zerbi had told Match of the Day, "We have to put on the pitch something more than we are putting. Football is tactical, but it is blood, it is fighting, it is first one on the ball. As a coach, I take responsibility. I can work better, harder and more. I can explain my opinion about the performance and about what we can do more. But in the end, I can't change something more in the behaviour."
At Old Trafford we could then see tweaks to the starting XI (dropping big-money signing Tonali who has not impressed much after joining Spurs, for instance) and more discipline at the back (even if Van Hecke and Van de Ven are injury doubts), but it's the intangibles that De Zerbi will be focusing on... But his bosses and Spurs fans will want a tangible effect on that empty wins column. A victory at Old Trafford might not carry the oomph it used to back in the day, but it's exactly the kind of result that could kickstart Spurs' campaign.
Stats
Spurs are on their worst five-game opening to a Premier League campaign (two points, -6 GD) overtaking their 2008-09 troubles (two points, -3 GD)
To add to that, only in 1912-13 (first 12 games), 2008-09 (first eight) and 1955-56 (first six) have Spurs failed to win any of their opening six games of a league campaign
And they don't like visiting Old Trafford, traditionally. Spurs have lost 25 Premier League away games against Man Utd; only Everton (26 at Arsenal) have lost more away against one opponent
United's points tally, five in five, is also their joint least at this stage of a Premier League-era season (also 5 in 2014-15 under Louis van Gaal)
Mbeumo may be the man Man United look to get them going on Saturday: he has been involved in seven goals in his last six Premier League appearances against Tottenham (six goals, one assist)