Match Preview: Manchester United Vs Chelsea

 

Date, time and coverage: Monday 26 August (kick-off: 20:00 BST, 12:30 A.M IST Star Sports). The match is live in the UK on Sky Sports and you can follow it via ManUtd.com’s exclusive text and radio commentaries.

Form guide: United began the new Barclays Premier League season by recording a hugely impressive 4-1 win over Swansea City last weekend, a match that had been earmarked as a potential banana skin for the champions. That triumph was preceded by a 2-0 victory over Wigan Athletic in the FA Community Shield at Wembley. Chelsea have also got off to an encouraging start, beating Hull City 2-0 at Stamford Bridge before sealing another home win over Aston Villa on Wednesday. The latter was rearranged for midweek because of the Blues involvement in the UEFA Super Cup.

Ins and outs: Rafael's suspension, which was earned via a sending off against Chelsea last term, is now over but the Brazilian remains unavailable through injury. Wayne Rooney could start following his cameo in Wales last time out, though Ashley Young (ankle), Nani (groin) and Chicharito (hamstring) are all likely to miss out. Meanwhile, David Luiz is a doubt for Chelsea, who are also without Thomas Kalas.

Last meeting: In the fifth meeting of the 2012/13 campaign, United went down 1-0 as a result of Juan Mata’s deflected finish after 87 minutes at the Theatre of Dreams. But in truth, the match was something of an uneven contest; the Reds had already claimed the title and had little to play for whilst the Blues were still chasing a Champions League qualification place.

Manager: Once the self-proclaimed ‘Special One’, Mourinho has rebranded himself the ‘Happy One’ following his recent return to Chelsea - six years after his first reign ended in 2007. But will his second spell be as successful as the first? “In football you never know, but I want to believe it’s possible,” Jose explained during his first press conference. “I always trust my work.”

Star man: In truth, you could say any of the midfield triumvirate of Juan Mata, Oscar and Eden Hazard, though for many, the latter is an extra-special talent. Signed from Lille last summer, the Belgian has become one of the division's finest forwards by combining great pace, skill and intelligence. And at just 22 years of age, he looks set to dominate the game for seasons to come.

Sub-plot: David Moyes will take charge of his first Old Trafford match as United boss, a huge occasion for everyone involved with the club. And with 76,000 fans all waiting to get behind our new manager, an incredible atmosphere is all-but guaranteed.

Did you know? United have not lost the first home match of the season since 1992, when Sir Alex Ferguson’s men went down 3-0 to Everton.

Whistle blower: Martin Atkinson will be the man in the middle for this clash of the titans. After 11 seasons of refereeing, the West Yorkshire man is one of the most experienced officials in the game. Notably, United fans last him during last January’s 2-2 draw with West Ham in the FA Cup.

Quote/unquote: “In Mourinho’s first spell at Chelsea, they obviously got us to a few good starts and we didn’t manage to catch them. You always want to get off to a good start. It has obviously been well documented that we have got a tough start, but we started well with a good win at Swansea on Saturday and hopefully we can carry that on.” – Ryan Giggs

Rivals watch: Arsenal face local rivals Fulham before Liverpool travel to Aston Villa on Saturday. A day later, Manchester City take on Cardiff City in Wales.