Ipswich vs Man Utd: Preview, predictions and lineups

Ruben Amorim takes charge of his first match as Manchester United manager on Sunday afternoon as the Red Devils visit Ipswich Town in the Premier League.

The Portuguese coach will get his first taste of English football at Portman Road as he aims to build on the good work done by interim boss Ruud van Nistelrooy. Making a quick start in the Premier League will be essential following Man Utd’s dismal beginning to the 2024/25 campaign but Amorim’s arrival marks the start of a long-term project.

The former Sporting CP head coach has plenty of injury issues to deal with already and will set about changing the team’s identity with a depleted squad at his disposal. A trip to Ipswich is an appetising first fixture in many respects, but the Tractor Boys will be desperate to spoil Amorim’s big day.

Ipswich finally secured their first victory of the Premier League season before the November international break, surprising Tottenham Hotspur with a 2-1 win in north London. Kieran McKenna, who was linked with the Man Utd job last summer, will be keen to build on a strong performance and result this weekend.

Here is 90min’s guide to Amorim’s United debut.

Ipswich vs Man Utd H2H Record (Last Five Games)

Current form (all competitions)

Ipswich have a number of players doubtful for the visit from Man Utd but the positive news is that Kalvin Phillips returns from his one-game suspension following a red card against Leicester City.

Elsewhere, Jacob Greaves is closing in on a return after almost two months out of action and Jack Taylor, Wes Burns and Nathan Broadhead could all feature on Sunday.

Omari Hutchinson didn’t play for the England Under-21s over the international period due to injury but could return against United. Chiedozie Ogbene will be missing for the remainder of the campaign.

Ipswich predicted lineup vs Man Utd (3-4-3): Muric; Tuanzebe, O’Shea, Burgess; Johnson, Morsy, Cajuste, Davis; Hutchinson, Delap, Szmodics.

It’s difficult to predict Amorim’s first starting lineup but he’s expected to use the 3-4-3 system that brought him so much success at Sporting. In his pre-match press conference, he suggested he would field a similar lineup to those recently chosen by Van Nistelrooy, but that “it will be different” in the game.

In terms of injuries, Amorim has plenty to contend with in his first week on the job. Long-term absentees Luke Shaw, Tyrell Malacia and Leny Yoro are all unlikely to feature, although they are progressing towards returns.

Harry Maguire and Kobbie Mainoo were both unavailable over the international break and could well miss out again. However, Lisandro Martinez, Victor Lindelof and Casemiro are expected to be passed fit.

Man Utd predicted lineup vs Ipswich (3-4-3): Onana; De Ligt, Evans, Martinez; Dalot, Casemiro, Ugarte, Mazraoui; Fernandes, Hojlund, Rashford.

It’s the beginning of an exciting new era for Man Utd supporters and Amorim will be desperate to make a positive first impression at the weekend. Things will take time to gel and improve but victory at Portman Road would be a dream start for the impressive Portuguese.

There’s expected to be a radical transformation in formation and philosophy under Amorim but he may be best served easing his new players into such a drastic shift. Ipswich have shown their ability to make life difficult for the division’s top dogs, evidenced by victory over Spurs last time out.

However, convincing or not, we’re backing Amorim to begin his reign with a win against the newly-promoted Tractor Boys.

Prediction: Ipswich 1-2 Man Utd

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