Manchester United vs Leeds LIVE: Premier League team news and confirmed line-ups as Marcel Sabitzer starts

Manchester United have kept eight top-flight clean sheets in 2022/23, equalling their final total from last season.

Will they manage to keep Leeds at bay tonight?

Leeds have netted 11 goals in their final four top-flight fixtures before the World Cup but have scored just four times in six matches since the league resumed.

Their tally of five away points this season is a joint-league low with Bournemouth.

Marcus Rashford has scored 11 goals in 13 club appearances since returning from the World Cup, more than any other player at a Premier League club.

Rashford has netted in each of Manchester United’s last five Premier League home fixtures, three short of the club record set by Wayne Rooney from December 2009 to March 2010.

Aaron Wan-Bissaka has not included in Manchester United’s squad for tonight’s game.

Wan-Bissaka is reportedly ill and Jadon Sancho, who was ill at the weekend, was not considered fit enough to start tonight – he starts on the bench.

Wednesday’s fixture was rearranged following the death of Queen Elizabeth II in September. A new date was eventually confirmed after both teams advanced to the fifth round of the FA Cup without requiring a fourth-round replay.

In announcing the “unique” fixture, the Premier League said: “We acknowledge the unique circumstances of the teams playing each other twice in the same week, with Leeds United v Manchester United scheduled for Sunday 12 February. This is to avoid potential fixture congestion later in the season.”

Leeds United are winless in seven Premier League games and have won two of their last 17 with five draws and 10 defeats.

They have failed to win each of their last nine midweek league matches, losing six of them.

Manchester United have earned an unrivalled 16 points since the Premier League resumed after the World Cup.

The Reds are on a run of 13 consecutive home victories in all competition, their longest streak since 20 straight victories from December 2010 to September 2011 under Alex Ferguson.

It is an imperfect 10 for Erik ten Hag. Tuesday marked the six-month anniversary of his first game as Manchester United manager and he has had only seen 10 goals from his specialist strikers. One was against Omonia Nicosia, two against Sheriff Tiraspol, three against Nottingham Forest. Only four were in the Premier League.

In a different era, when Sir Alex Ferguson invariably played two up front, his fearsome foursome of centre-forwards scored 76 times in 1998/99. Playing as a lone striker, Ruud van Nistelrooy got 44 on his own in 2002/03. Even last season, Cristiano Ronaldo mustered 24.

None of this is to suggest United should be nostalgic for their traumatic campaign last year: the evidence is clear they are better without the departed Ronaldo. But he only scored three times for Ten Hag before his United career ended abruptly. Thus far, Anthony Martial has six goals, new arrival Wout Weghorst one.

Erik ten Hag makes three changes to the Manchester United team that lined-up against Crystal Palace last time out. Diogo Dalot returns at right-back in place of Aaron Wan-Bissaka whilst there is a first start for Marcel Sabitzer who joins Fred in midfield. Alejandro Garnacho also comes in for Antony.

There are just two changes to the Leeds team that lost 1-0 to Nottingham Forest in their last outing. Liam Cooper and Marc Roca drop out with Robin Koch and Weston McKennie replacing them.

Man Utd XI: De Gea, Dalot, Varane, Martinez, Shaw, Fred, Sabitzer, Garnacho, Fernandes, Rashford, Weghorst

Leeds XI: Meslier, Ayling, Koch, Wober, Struijk, Adams, McKennie, Sinisterra, Harrison, Gnonto, Bamford