The good news for United is that West Ham have won none of their last 12 Premier League matches away from home. They have also only kept one clean sheet in their last 11 Premier League games away from home.
At home Man United have won eight of their last nine Premier League matches at Old Trafford. United have won the last four games against the Hammers, keeping three clean sheets.
So on paper it looks like an easy Man United win, but that isn’t how football works.
These two teams have played each other 118 times, Man United have won 53 times compared to West Ham’s 41. The sides have also seen 24 draws.
Man United have defender Rio Ferdinand available for the game after he has served his four-match ban. Nemanja Vidic could also return to the starting line-up, he was on the bench during United’s 3-1 loss at Everton but did not feature.
The Red Devils will be without Luis Nani who is still serving his three-match ban. United will also be without Ryan Giggs, John O’Shea and Owen Hargreaves who are all out with injuries.
Man United squad:
Edwin Van der Sar, Tomasz Kuszczak, Ben Foster, Gary Neville, Wes Brown, Rafael da Silva, Rio Ferdinand, Nemanja Vidic, Jonny Evans, Patrice Evra, Fabio da Silva, Ji-Sung Park, Anderson, Antonio Valencia, Michael Carrick, Paul Scholes, Darren Fletcher, Gabriel Obertan, Darron Gibson, Wayne Rooney, Michael Owen, Dimitar Berbatov and Mame Biram Diouf.
My predicted starting Man United XI- Van Der Sar, Vidic, Ferdinand, Evra, Valencia, Scholes, Fletcher, Carrick, Park and Rooney.
The visiting team will definitely be without Luis Boa Morte, Herita Ilunga, Kieron Dyer, Zavon Hines, Calum Davenport and Danny Gabbidon who are all suffering from injuries. Benni McCarthy is doubtful after picking up a knee injury but he is in the squad.
West Ham squad:
Robert Green, Marek Stech, Jonathan Spector, Julien Faubert, Matthew Upson, James Tomkins, Manuel Da Costa, Fabio Daprela, Scott Parker, Valon Behrami, Radoslav Kovac, Jack Collison, Mark Noble, Alessandro Diamanti, Junior Stanislas, Carlton Cole, Mido, Araujo Ilan, Guillermo Franco and Benni McCarthy.
The referee for tomorrow is Alan Wiley, the ref who Sir Alex Ferguson accused of being unfit.
In all competitions this season Wiley has refereed 28 games, showing 95 yellow cards and four red cards
.
He has officiated three games involving Man United this season. The 1-0 loss at Burnley, the 2-2 draw at Sunderland and United’s 3-1 win at Hull.
Predicted fulltime result- Man United 3-1 West Ham
