Man Utd predicted line-up vs. Bournemouth: one major change as senior international returns to starting XI

Manchester United are having a bizarre season in the Premier League. Despite garnering all kinds of criticism for a sluggish start, the Red Devils now find themselves just three points behind bitter rivals Manchester City, and just nine points off the top of the table.

This weekend, Erik ten Hag's side host Bournemouth at Old Trafford, and will be hoping to build on a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Chelsea in midweek. Scott McTominay scored both goals in that clash to make it four wins out of five for United in the top flight.

For their part, Bournemouth are also undergoing something of a resurgence. The Cherries are now unbeaten in four, and have hauled themselves well clear of the relegation zone. A 2-0 win over Crystal Palace in midweek means that Andoni Iraola's side are now 15th in the table, with 16 points from their first 15 matches.

But how will both sides line up at Old Trafford on Saturday afternoon? We've taken a look at their respective team news and predicted XIs below...

Manchester United Team News

Manchester United have are set to be without a number of players for Saturday's clash with Bournemouth. At the back, Lisandro Martinez is set to be sidelined until January at least as a consequence of a foot injury, while Raphael Varane is a minor doubt due to an ongoing back complaint. Tyrell Malacia is unlikely to feature again until the new year.

In midfield, Mason Mount continues to struggle with a calf issue, while Casemiro is a long-term absence as a result of hamstring injury. Christian Eriksen is expected to return from a knee complaint later this month, but is highly unlikely to be available against the Cherries. Amad Diallo is still undergoing a process of rehabilitation after sustaining an injury in preseason, and Jadon Sancho is also unavailable for selection following a breakdown in his relationship with manager Ten Hag.

Manchester United Predicted XI

Andre Onana; Diogo Dalot, Harry Maguire, Victor Lindelof, Luke Shaw; Scott McTominay, Sofyan Amrabat, Antony, Bruno Fernandes, Marcus Rashford; Rasmus Hojlund.

Bournemouth Team News

As for Bournemouth, they have several absences of their own to contend with. The trio of Lloyd Kelly, Max Aarons, and Che Adams are all set to miss out with hamstring issues, while full-back Ryan Fredericks is understood to be facing an indefinite amount of time on the treatment table due to a calf complaint. Speaking about his current injury issues earlier this week, Iraola said: "Defensively we are thinner right now, Max Aarons should be the first one ready to help us again, but he is still not training. We'll have to wait. I don't think he's ready for the games this week. We'll see."

Elsewhere, summer signing Alex Scott is not expected back until the new year, and Bournemouth face nervy waits over duo Hamed Traore and Emiliano Marcondes. Both could be in contention on Saturday, but the former has been battling illness, and the latter is said to be lacking in match fitness.

Bournemouth Predicted XI

Neto; Adam Smith; Illia Zabarnyi, Marcos Senesi, Milos Kerkez; Lewis Cook, Ryan Christie, Antoine Semenyo, Justin Kluivert, Luis Sinisterra; Dominic Solanke.