Manchester United vs Anderlecht. Thursday 20th 20:05

jayo26

Wayne Rooney could return to the Manchester United squad for Thursday's Europa League quarter-final second leg against Anderlecht at Old Trafford.

Captain Rooney, 31, has missed four games with an ankle injury but may be on the bench as United look to progress after a 1-1 first-leg draw in Belgium.

United boss Jose Mourinho has confirmed that Argentina keeper Sergio Romero will start ahead of David de Gea.

Phil Jones (foot), Chris Smalling (knee) and Juan Mata (groin) are out.

Rooney trained on Wednesday and Mourinho said the England forward would be named as a substitute if he came through the session "positively".

"He is a player that can be useful and if we need a goal he can help us," added the Portuguese.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic may start after spending the first 83 minutes of Sunday's 2-0 home win against Chelsea on the bench.

The Sweden striker, 35, was rested after admitting to feeling tired, while teenage replacement Marcus Rashford scored in an impressive display.

United are hoping to reach the Europa League final on 24 May at Stockholm's Friends Arena - where Ibrahimovic is having a statue erected in his honour.

Ibrahimovic is yet to reveal if his initial one-year United contract will be extended in the summer.

"I don't think about whether it would be a perfect ending for him, I just think about Manchester United," said Mourinho.

"Winning the Europa League would be the perfect finale for us. It would be a perfect end to a difficult season, trying to build a team to recover a certain mentality, by playing in a European final."

Winning the Europa League would guarantee a Champions League place, even if United finish outside the Premier League's top four.

HISTORY

Manchester United have won all three of their previous home meetings against Anderlecht
United played Anderlecht in their first European competition game, winning 10-0 against the Belgians in September 1956

That scoreline remains the Red Devils' record victory - and Anderlecht's heaviest defeat in Uefa competition

United have won all five of their home Europa League games this season, conceding just once
The Red Devils have not lost a European game at Old Trafford since a 2-1 defeat by Real Madrid in the 2012-13 Champions League last 16, a run spanning 16 matches (winning 13 and drawing three)

Anderlecht have yet to win a game in England after 15 trips (drawing two and losing 13)

Anderlecht have lost only once in seven European away games this season

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BoHZ0O9MBWY

Drumpot

History, form , away leg, teams on paper... Everything points to a united win... I predict 2-2

yermandan

Banker win for Utd tonight. Expecting a drubbing

JamboMac

Will rashford get his game again tonight and is martial finished before he really got going?

ScummyMan

yermandan wrote: »

Banker win for Utd tonight. Expecting a drubbing

Have you watched us this season?

Going for a nervy 2-1 utd win.

yermandan

ScummyMan wrote: »

Have you watched us this season?

Going for a nervy 2-1 utd win.

Yup, every minute. Still expecting a comfortable victory

Cookiemunster

ScummyMan wrote: »

Have you watched us this season?

Going for a nervy 2-1 utd win.

Utd have won all 5 EL home games. 1-0, 4-1, 4-0, 3-0, 1-0. Home form isn't an issue in Europe.

StringerBell

Channels is this on?

jayo26

StringerBell wrote: »

Channels is this on?

Are you taking the piss ha.

yermandan

jayo26 wrote: »

Are you taking the piss ha.

hahah

Trigger

OP tl;dr

bucketybuck

Cookiemunster wrote: »

Home form isn't an issue in Europe.

Winning games we are expected to win is though.

That a particular game is in a different competition matters little imo.

jayo26

astradave wrote: »

OP tl;dr

Agent Smith

2-0 win for Utd is my prediction

beakerjoe

Id like to think Anderlecht will fall fowl of having to go for the game and leave themselves exposed. 3-1 United.

Jayop

JamboMac wrote: »

Will rashford get his game again tonight and is martial finished before he really got going?

32 appearances this year so far. He's going no where but he does need to improve big time to force his way into the team. No man should play just because he's a bigger transfer fee or a more popular player. The only position Martial could have played on Sunday was LW and he wouldn't have the discipline to do what Young did despite offering much more going forward.

Hotblack Desiato

beakerjoe wrote: »

Id like to think Anderlecht will fall fowl of having to go for the game and leave themselves exposed. 3-1 United.

You're not one to ruffle feathers round here by saying we'll chicken out of the game or something. Jose has hatched a plan. Sure as eggs is eggs, United will keep pecking away at the opposition and should end up giving them a good roasting. Going to lay money on it?

beakerjoe

Hotblack Desiato wrote: »

You're not one to ruffle feathers round here by saying we'll chicken out of the game or something. Jose has hatched a plan. Sure as eggs is eggs, United will keep pecking away at the opposition and should end up giving them a good roasting. Going to lay money on it?

Im too chicken to admit my spelling error.

Lithium93_

United's starting XI

https://twitter.com/hirstclass/status/855115724691582976

Carrick captains the side.

Bench: De Gea, Rooney, Martial, Blind, Young, Herrera, Fellaini

Jayop

Would love to see Mkhi and Lingard staying wider and Rashford playing alongside Ibra really close to him.

3-0 maybe 3-1

blueser

Can't see anything other than a utd win tonight. 3 or 4 goal margin.

Hotblack Desiato

beakerjoe wrote: »

Im too chicken to admit my spelling error.

That's OK, no point cracking up over it

Hotblack Desiato

Won't be able to catch any of this except maybe the last 15 mins or so will keep an eye on the thread though so keep the scoreline updates flowing please and thank you

jimmytwotimes 2013

Anyone give a sh1t about the Europa anthem?

yabadabado

3-0 United

Hotblack Desiato

jimmytwotimes 2013 wrote: »

Anyone give a sh1t about the Europa anthem?

Are they booing like in the council venue?

jimmytwotimes 2013

Hotblack Desiato wrote: »

Are they booing like in the council venue?

No, everyone just looked bored

Trigger

Pretty sloppy game so far

dfx-

blueser wrote: »

Can't see anything other than a utd win tonight. 3 or 4 goal margin.

Anderlecht is up there with the Greek sides for being absolutely dreadful away from home. It should be an easy home win by that sort of margin.

jimmytwotimes 2013

Yeeeesssss

Trigger

Yessssss what a ball from Pogba

Hank Scorpio

What a pass Pogba

RobertKK

That was beautiful by Pogba.

LuckyGent88

Lovely pass from Pogba initially.

Needed that as we had started pretty sloppy. Some very poor passes.

Fantastic ball from pogba

Big finish miki

statto25

Some ball from Pogba! Great goal

Toobz

That was all pogba

y0ssar1an22

after bashing pogba last game for his passing, that was some pass!

jimmytwotimes 2013

Black card all night long there

niallo27

Oh well that's game over. This Europa league is such poor standard but I suppose that's not utd's fault.

The Talking Bread

y0ssar1an22 wrote: »

after bashing pogba last game for his passing, that was some pass!

He has made a multitude of such classy passes this season but forwards haven't taken advantage.

RobertKK

United are playing well so far.

Trigger

Keeper looks like he knows he is gonna be busy tonight

niallo27

niallo27 wrote: »

Oh well that's game over. This Europa league is such poor standard but I suppose that's not utd's fault.

Lol 10 mins!

RobertKK

niallo27 wrote: »

Oh well that's game over. This Europa league is such poor standard but I suppose that's not utd's fault.

Long way to go yet.

jimmytwotimes 2013

After getting going now. Get another one, this is over early and we can rest up before wkend.

(Edit: or miss a hatful of chances, concede an away goal and end up playing extra time, whichever)

niallo27

M!Ck^ wrote: »

Lol 10 mins!

Gulf in class here between the sides in fairness.

paulbok

niallo27 wrote: »

Oh well that's game over. This Europa league is such poor standard but I suppose that's not utd's fault.

You must be expecting us to win it so?

ShooterSF

Actually enjoying the Europa games lately. Don't really care for it as a competition so I get to watch without all the nerves that being a United fan in Europe is usually full of. Fingernails untouched!

Not good
Hope rojo ok