Man United vs Southampton preview: Bruno Fernandes, Pogba likely to start as Fred still missing from squad

• United face Southampton at Old Trafford with three points at stake in an early kick off Premier League encounter
• The Red Devils have a fairly healthy squad to choose from, particularly in attack, with Cristiano Ronaldo, Marcus Rashford and Anthony Elanga all available for selection
• Midfielder Fred is however unavailable as he continues to recover from COVID-19 and will not feature

Manchester United will be looking to return to winning ways when they take on Southampton at Old Trafford in the early kick off on Saturday, February 12.

Winless in their last two games in all competitions, Ralf Rangnick’s side will be hoping Southampton have a bad outing as the Red Devils continue an intense battle for a top-four place.

One statistic that will be encouraging to the Old Trafford club is the fact that they remain unbeaten in 11 Premier League meetings against the Saints, who have only won two of their last 22 games at Old Trafford.

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Team news

In terms of team news, midfielder Fred is still missing in action as he continues to recover from COVID-19, but his Brazilian counterpart Alex Telles could return to the side after engaging in training this week.

Eric Bailly is also missing with an ankle problem, while Nemanja Matic is also not fit enough as he struggles with a shin issue.

In the latest training snaps at United’s training, players including David de Gea, Victor Lindelof, Jesse Lingard and Marcus Rashford.were spotted in the session, and they all are contenders to start the Saints game.

Other players up for selection include youngster Anthony Elanga, who is still getting accustomed to first team environment, and the likes of Paul Pogba, Scott McTominay, Phil Jones, Juan Mata and Bruno Fernandes are also available.

“I think someone put a curse on the club”

In other news, David De Gea was lost for an explanation to why the team was underperforming despite their star-studded squad.

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The Manchester United goalkeeper sensationally suggested his side could have been cursed, after what has been an average season on many levels for the club.

Ahead of the Southampton game, United lie sixth on the log, and are out of the FA Cup and Carabao cup, with little to no hope for silverware for yet another campaign.