Manchester United host Newcastle United in their final match of 2024 hoping to end the year in at least some form of positivity.

A wretched 2-0 loss at struggling Wolves on Boxing Day left the Red Devils in 14th place in the standings and closer to the relegation zone than the UEFA Champions League places.

New head coach Ruben Amorim has overseen five defeats in all competitions in the seven games since he warned “the storm will come” following a 4-0 win over Everton on December 1, and it does not look like things are about to get much calmer.

Their next three opponents are Newcastle and Premier League leaders Liverpool, plus Arsenal in the FA Cup on January 12. 

The Magpies have enjoyed a recent resurgence, and their 3-0 win over 10-man Aston Villa last time out moved them up to fifth in the standings. 

Although they were beaten 3-2 in this same fixture towards the end of last season, they have only lost two of their past seven meetings with these opponents, and a run of four straight wins — in which they scored at least three goals in each game — means Eddie Howe’s men will be confident of another good result.

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Man United vs. Newcastle lineups, confirmed starting 11, team news

Bruno Fernandes‘ red card at Wolves changed the course of the game and means the United captain is banned for this fixture. Manuel Ugarte is also missing due to a suspension, forcing Amorim to field Casemiro and Christian Eriksen in a central midfield two that appears to lack legs.

Mason Mount won’t return from his latest injury until at least January, while there is still no word on when Luke Shaw and Victor Lindelof will be available. Matthijs de Ligt has been struggling with illness but completes the back three with Harry Maguire and captain-for-the-night Lisandro Martinez.

Arguably the biggest piece of team news comes among the substitutes, where Marcus Rashford features in a United matchday squad for the first time since December 12.

Man United (3-4-3, right to left): Onana (GK) — Maguire, De Ligt, Martinez — Mazraoui, Casemiro, Eriksen, Dalot — Amad, Hojlund, Zirkzee

Man United subs: Bayindir, Rashford, Malacia, Yoro, Garnacho, Antony, Mainoo, Collyer, Kukonki

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Newcastle are still without goalkeeper Nick Pope and defenders Sven Botman, Jamaal Lascelles and Emil Krafth, but all three are on track to return to action early in the new year. Striker Callum Wilson is also still sidelined.

Tino Livramento sat out the win over Villa due to illness but could be back for the trip to Old Trafford. Harvey Barnes and Joe Willock are options to come into Howe’s lineup should he want to rotate to keep the team fresh.

Newcastle (4-3-3, right to left): Dubravka (GK) — Trippier, Schar, Burn, Hall — Guimaraes, Tonali, Joelinton — Murphy, Isak, Gordon

Newcastle subs: Vlachodimos, Barnes, Osula, Livramento, Almiron, Kelly, Willock, Longstaff, Miley

Man United vs. Newcastle live stream, TV channel

Here’s how to watch this Premier League match across selected areas of the world’s major regions: