Manchester United vs Bolton Wanderers: Preview, Live Stream, Start Time and More

Manchester United will look to keep pace in the Premier League title chase on Saturday when the Red Devils welcome the Bolton Wanderers to Old Trafford. It's the second meeting of the season between the two teams, with United picking up a huge 5-0 victory on the road in early September.

The Red Devils currently sit three points behind rival Manchester City as the season passes its halfway points. After a torrid start that made it seem like United was going to produce a magical season, the team has cooled down lately and will need to pick up the pace moving forward.

After finishing in the muddled middle of the table last season, Bolton has endured a rocky first half. The Trotters find themselves in the relegation zone through 20 games. That's mostly due to a porous back line which has allowed a league-high 43 goals.

Where: Old Trafford in Greater Manchester, England

When: Saturday, Jan. 14 at 10 a.m. ET

Watch: ESPN3.com

Betting Odds: Manchester United -715, Bolton Wanderers +1410, Draw +610

Player to Watch for Manchester United: Michael Carrick

Manchester United's injury woes have been well-documented over the past couple months. Carrick was expected to step up to fill one of the voids in the midfield, but he just hasn't performed at his usual high level during his time in Sir Alex Ferguson's starting lineup.

Even though the 30-year-old veteran has always been known to be streaky, United was hoping for more production from him. He's tallied just one goal and one assist in 12 games despite being given extra opportunities to move forward while playing from behind.

Player to Watch for Bolton Wanderers: Ivan Klasnic

Klasnic is off to the best start of his Premiership career with seven goals and four helpers in 17 games. He's consistently been Bolton's biggest offensive threat, which isn't too shabby for somebody approaching their 32nd birthday at month's end.

The Croatian international has shown a goal-scoring touch at every stop during his career, but nobody was sure if he'd be able to excel when given extended time in the EPL. He's proven the doubters wrong so far and will need to have a big game if Bolton wants to pull off an upset.

Key Matchup: Wayne Rooney vs. Jussi Jaaskelainen

It's no secret that Manchester United is at its best when Rooney is playing in all-out attack mode. He sets the tone for the entire offense in the attacking third. The more defenders he can draw in his direction means more space for his teammates to operate.

He'll be unleashing shots early and often against Jaaskelainen, who is expected to return from injury, according to the Bolton News. His replacement, Adam Bogdan, gave up a freak goal to Tim Howard, so Jaaskelainen should bring some stability back between the pipes.

What They're Saying

It appears rumors linking Newcastle United star Demba Ba and Manchester United are false. Joel Lamy of Goal.com passed along a quote from Ba, who said the man claiming to represent him is a fake.

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However, Ba has used his Twitter page to completely deny the report, telling his followers: "Really, I don't know how desperate this 'Armand Doorn' can be to talk like he's my agent! He's nothing for me. Stop lying and show respect."

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Bolton may be without defender Gary Cahill for Saturday's match. Sky Sports reports Cahill is close to completing a move to Chelsea.

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Sky Sports News sources understand Bolton Wanderers defender Gary Cahill is close to agreeing personal terms with Chelsea.

Chelsea agreed a fee with Bolton last month, but have yet to conclude a deal to bring the England international to Stamford Bridge.

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Prediction

Manchester United 2, Bolton Wanderers 0