Manchester United
will look to get back to winning ways and stay within touching distance of the
race for the top four when they take on Arsenal at Old Trafford on Thursday. The
Red Devils have won just one of their last seven league matches, starting the
post-Ole Gunnar Solskjaer era with a draw at Stamford Bridge against Chelsea.

Caretaker
manager Michael Carrick’s decision to drop Cristiano Ronaldo to the bench for
that clash raised several eyebrows. However, the former midfielder has
played down the selection in the pre-match presser, saying these decisions get “blown
up” a lot bigger than they are.  

“These
types of decisions get blown up a lot bigger than they probably are. Decisions
are made for a lot of different reasons and certain ones get bigger news than
others, but that is how it was,” Sky Sports quoted Carrick as saying.

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“I didn’t
see it as being a major decision. It certainly wasn’t within the camp. We all
got on really well with it. The game went well, to a certain extent, and it
wasn’t a drama at all.”

Carrick was
earlier confirmed to be in charge for the Arsenal game as incoming interim manager
Ralf Rangnick could not get his visa finalised in time to come to England.

Manchester
United will also have Harry Maguire available for selection after completeing
his one-match suspension for the red card he received during the 4-1 humiliation
at Vicarage Road. Luke Shaw will be monitored and could play a cameo, but Raphael
Varane, Paul Pogba and Edinson Cavani are not available over fitness issues.

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Arsenal are
hoping to get Bukayo Saka back fit after the young forward picked up an injury
against Newastle United last week. Saka, along with Gabriel Martinelli, scored in
the 2-0 win at the Emirates.

The Gunners
are looking to make history in their age-old rivalry against the Mancunians,
having have not lost their last six league meetings with them. Arsenal have
never gone seven games without defeat against the Red Devils. They will also
look to win consecutive away league games against Manchester United for the
first time since February 1979.