Manchester United vs. Bournemouth: Team News, Livestream, TV Info, Ticket News

Manchester United versus Bournemouth sees the Red Devils in with a narrow chance of sneaking into fourth place and gaining a spot in next season's UEFA Champions League.

Of course, had they beaten West Ham United on Tuesday evening, a win here would have guaranteed that outcome. As it is, they need Swansea City to beat Manchester City at the Liberty Stadium in order for a win at Old Trafford to see them finish above their local rivals.

There is one other means of qualification, but that would rely on Manchester City drawing their game and United beating Bournemouth by a 19-goal margin, so that can safely be ignored.

The Cherries' season has petered out in recent weeks. Virtually assured of their Premier League status for some time, they have only won one of their last seven games, and that was against relegated Aston Villa.

Manager Eddie Howe addressed the question of his side's motivation ahead of the game, per his club's website: 

"

We won’t need motivating for this one.

Whenever you play Manchester United it’s a historic occasion, so I am sure the players will be chomping at the bit to get out there. It’s nice to be involved in games that mean something.

We are a competitive team and relish that side of it, so it’s a game we are all really looking forward to.

"

When addressing the season as a whole, United boss Louis van Gaal struck a defensive tone. He said, per the Mirror:

"

We can win the FA Cup. How many are still in the race? How many? Of course, when we don't qualify ourselves [for the top four] then we don't reach our aim.

That is true, because our aim was to qualify, but we are in the final of the FA Cup and we are in the race [for fourth] going into the last match, so mathematically we can qualify still.

How many teams can say that? Not many. Of course you can say Manchester United need to be champions. Yes, I know the expectations are like that, but I don't think that is realistic.

"

It will be fascinating to see how fans respond to Van Gaal if he addresses the crowd after the game, especially if United have failed to qualify for Europe's elite competition. Being told their expectations are unrealistic is likely to leave a bitter taste.

Date: Sunday, 15 May

Time: 3 p.m. BST/10 a.m. ET

Venue: Old Trafford, Manchester, England

TV Info: Sky Sports 1 (UK Only)/NBCSN (U.S. only)

Livestream: Sky Go (UK Only)/NBC Sports Live Extra (U.S. only)

Form Lines

Manchester United: WWWDWL

Bournemouth: LWLLLD

Team News

The home side will likely be without the services of Adnan Januzaj and Matteo Darmian for the final game of the season. The two join long-term injury absentees Luke Shaw and Bastian Schweinsteiger on the sidelines with a training knock and an ankle problem respectively. 

Van Gaal told MUTV (h/t the club's website): "Unfortunately Januzaj has been injured in the training session, so he is out for Sunday. We have to wait and see for the final. The rest is like it was. Darmian is still out but can be in. It is dependable on the progress. Schweinsteiger is out and Shaw is out."

Van Gaal did say Januazaj and Darmian "can possibly be back" in time for the FA Cup final on 21 May.

Bournemouth's official site reported that "apart from Sylvain Distin (back) and Adam Smith (hernia), Howe looks set to have a full squad to pick from at Old Trafford."

Predicted Lineups

After poor performances from Ander Herrera and Morgan Schneiderlin at West Ham in midweek, it seems likely Van Gaal will play Michael Carrick and Jesse Lingard. Lingard could play on the right with Juan Mata through the middle, but the Dutchman has been pretty obstinate in maintaining Mata's position on the flank.

Elsewhere on the pitch, he has been consistent in picking Marcos Rojo at left-back in spite of his poor form, but Cameron Borthwick-Jackson or Timothy Fosu-Mensah must surely be considered as options.

The Guardian suggested Bournemouth are likely to line up as above. Howe said, per the Cherries' website: 

"

We might possibly shuffle things around slightly. We'll have a look at it.

Last week was a good chance for us to see a couple of players that haven’t had a lot of football of late, with mixed results to be honest.

There were mixed performances from the guys, so we will have a look and try to pick our strongest team to get a result.

"

Players to Watch

With a goal and an assist in his last two games, Mata could be one to watch from United's point of view. His form this season has been a big disappointment, though there are plenty of mitigating factors, such as the way his manager has used him. He has still notched six goals and five assists in the Premier League.

Mike Hewitt/Getty Images

It is an indictment on United's attacking play that those relatively mediocre numbers put him third and joint-top of the club's league goals and assists charts respectively. Nonetheless, he retains the ability to add spark in games in which United struggle to create much, and his performances have been better of late.

Given his history with United's youth setup, it will be interesting to see how Joshua King performs on his return to Old Trafford. With six goals, he is the Cherries' leading scorer. Four of those strikes have come in his last nine games. He scored in Bournemouth's 2-1 win over United back in December and will certainly hope to add to his tally against his old club here.

AFP/Getty Images

Key Battle

After a dismal performance against West Ham, it will be intriguing to see how the defensive partnership of Chris Smalling and Daley Blind performs against the two-man attack likely to be deployed by Howe.

However, United's defence as a collective has been considerably more reliable at home than away. They have conceded just eight times at Old Trafford in the league this season, compared with 26 on the road.

Elsewhere, the right-back who comes up against Anthony Martial could be in for a busy afternoon. The French forward is in spectacular form, with four goals and an assist in his past three games.

Simon Francis has played there and at centre-back this term, and if he is selected on the right, he is likely to have one of his tougher days.

Ticket News

For ticket information on all Premier League games, visit the official site or go to the ticket page on the home club's official website.

Odds

Manchester United: 11-25

Draw: 209-50

Bournemouth: 8-1

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