Watford V Manchester United: Team News, Predicted Lineups, Live Stream, TV Info

Watford versus Manchester United sees an injury-hit Red Devils squad travel down to Vicarage Road for the teams' first meeting since April 2007, per 11v11.com.

The last time United lost this fixture was in September of 1986 when a 1-0 Watford win came as part of a run of games that would eventually lead to Ron Atkinson being replaced by the then-Aberdeen manager Alex Ferguson.

Each of the nine meetings between the two sides in league and cup since then have resulted in United victories. 

Richard Heathcote/Getty Images

For Saturday's clash to repeat the historical precedent, United will need to find goals from somewhere. As has been much discussed, goals have been in short supply for the Red Devils. Their injury-ravaged attack will be up against the division's joint-second-meanest home defence—the Hornets having conceded just four goals at home all season.

Watford manager Quique Sanchez Flores said ahead of this one, per BBC Sport: 

"

We have to reference the matches we have played against big teams.

Against Manchester City we were really competitive for 45 minutes, against Arsenal we were for one hour, so our target for this match is to be competitive for one-and-a-half hours.

We will approach the game with respect, organisation, tradition and passion.

"

Louis van Gaal is understandably concerned about the injury situation, saying, per his club's website: 

"

Every match is a big challenge in the Premier League. Now it is a little bit nasty because [Wayne] Rooney was also ill after the international break and I only see him the day after he played and then he was at home [on Thursday], so I don't think he can play either—that is our problem.

 

"

Date: Saturday, November 21, 2015

Time: 12:45 p.m. GMT/7:45 a.m. ET

Venue: Vicarage Road, Watford, England

TV Info: BT Sport 1 (U.K. only)/NBCSN (U.S. only)

Live Stream: BT Sport (U.K. only)/NBC Sports Live Extra (U.S. Only)

Form Lines

Watford: LDLWWL

Manchester United: DDDDWW

Team News

According to the Press Association (h/t Daily Mail):

"

Watford striker Odion Ighalo faces a late fitness test before manager Quique Sanchez Flores selects his team for the visit of Manchester United after returning back to the club late following international duty with Nigeria.

Sebastian Prodl remains unavailable owing to a calf injury, as does Tommie Hoban (groin and hip injuries), Joel Ekstrand (knee) and Rene Gilmartin (knee).

"

United's injury situation is problematic. Van Gaal told MUTV (h/t the club's website):

"

I think that everybody knows Michael Carrick and Anthony Martial are injured, but also injured is Marouane Fellaini. That's a surprise because I thought he was recovered after the international break, but still he is injured. And that's a big blow because Rooney is ill, so we have a big problem, I think.

"

Luke Shaw remains injured after the broken leg he suffered against PSV Eindhoven earlier in the season. Antonio Valencia's injury is serious according to Van Gaal. He told MUTV (h/t the Manchester Evening News): "Valencia is longer term and very long. It is not within three months or something. It is a very heavy injury."

With so many strikers injured, Van Gaal will surely give a role to James Wilson, though that is unlikely to be for 90 minutes with the Dutchman saying, per MUTV, again with thanks to the club's website: "Wilson is okay after the international break. He can play but he cannot play a whole match because he doesn't have the rhythm of the game."

Predicted Lineups

Assuming that Ighalo is available, Flores may well line Watford up as above. There is some potential variation—if Jurado does not play, Ikechi Anya could play further forward with Jose Holebas at left-back, but the Greece international has not been a go-to man for Flores.

If Ighalo is absent, it could force a tactical rethink, with Anya or Almen Abdi used in more attacking positions. 

The back five listed above seems a very likely selection, unless Ashley Young is preferred to Matteo Darmian. Every other position in the side is subject to debate, though. 

Van Gaal could look to generate more attacking impetus by playing Ander Herrera in deep-lying midfield in place of Morgan Schneiderlin or Bastian Schweinsteiger. That would allow Juan Mata to play more centrally, with Memphis Depay on the left and Jesse Lingard on the right. 

If Wilson needs to come off, Memphis seems the most likely choice to replace him at centre-forward; with him low on form and confidence, that could be a big gamble. 

Players to Watch 

Ighalo would be a massive miss for Watford if he was unavailable. He and Troy Deeney have formed a highly effective partnership with the Nigerian leading the goalscoring charge with seven league goals this season and Deeney providing the most assists in the Watford team—three.

Abdi and Jurado are both worth keeping an eye on too. They lead the average chance creation charts for the Hornets, with 1.9 and 1.7 key passes per game respectively. Abdi is averaging 0.7 key passes per game from crosses during open play, considerably more than any United player.

For United, this is a big opportunity for Wilson and Memphis. Wilson has found his first-team chances limited. Understandably, he has struggled to make an impact when called upon. This will be a chance for him to impress. 

Memphis will hope to play an important part in the game, either in the starting XI or off the bench. He has endured a slow start to his United career, and this represents a chance for him to make an impact in the absence of so many of United's attackers. 

Jesse Lingard will also be worth watching, given he has provided a goal and an assist in his past two games.

Key Battle

There is an unstoppable force meets an immovable object quality to this game, or rather, an immovable object meets an immovable object. Neither side has been free-scoring, and both sides have mean defences. Chris Smalling's ability to deal with Abdi's aerial deliveries will be crucial, as will he and Daley Blind's marshalling of Deeney and Ighalo.

United's makeshift attack will have a job on their hands to breach Watford's defence, and assuming the Red Devils' classy back line can do its part, this will be the key battle. A high-scoring affair seems an unlikely outcome.

Odds

Watford: 333/100

Draw: 12/5

Manchester United: 109/100

Odds for the game correct at the time of writing, per Odds Shark.

Advanced statistics per WhoScored.com.