Manchester City v Manchester United preview: Live TV details, tickets, match facts, quotes, odds
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ByEurosport
Updated 26/04/2017 at 14:13 GMT
Get team news, match facts, quotes, odds and more ahead of the Premier League clash.
Manchester United's Paul Pogba looks dejected
Image credit: Reuters
Paul Pogba has been ruled out of Thursday's Manchester derby, joining a host of United players on the sidelines for the crunch fixture.
And even though United are just a point behind their neighbours and therefore just a point away from a Champions League qualification spot, manager Jose Mourinho says the extent of his squad's injury crisis will force him to play a second-string side as he prioritises the Europa League.
United's 2-0 win at Burnley in the Premier League on Sunday brings them within a point of fourth-placed City ahead of the derby clash at the Etihad Stadium.
But with the games coming thick and fast and injuries taking a toll on his team, Mourinho says he will rotate his squad again with an eye on the May 4 Europa League semi-final at Spanish club Celta Vigo.
Asked about the chance to overtake City with a win in the derby, the Portuguese said:
But if we beat Celta we go to the final.
TEAM NEWS
Man City have doubts over the fitness of David Silva, Sergio Aguero, Gabriel Jesus, John Stones and Fernandinho, while Ilkay Gundogan and Bacary Sagna are out.
United are missing Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Marcos Rojo, Juan Mata, Chris Smalling and Phil Jones as well as Pogba, but Ander Herrera and Antonio Valencia have been cleared to play after injury scares.
MANAGER QUOTES
Jose Mourinho: "Yes it is important for us to play in the Champions League but this club wants trophies. We cannot give the club the Premier League. We have a 25 percent chance to win the Europa League and we have to put everything on it. I will rotate the players again, I will rest some players again At least in terms of expectation for the game, the emotions, it is better a derby with one point difference than with four."
Pep Guardiola: "We will improve next season and be stronger. We arrived (at Wembley) and we competed, created more chances than our opponent, and hit the post. It was a little bit similar like what happened in the season. The teams does not need to do a lot of things score goals [against us]. We have some problem to score but we play like we want."
WHEN IS THE MATCH?
Kick off is at 20:00 on Thursday.
WHERE IS IT BEING PLAYED?
The match will take place at the Etihad. Here's all the info you need about the ground.
WHY SHOULD I CARE?
It is the Manchester derby and, whether or not Pep Guardiola or Jose Mourinho care to admit it, this had the feel of a Champions League shootout.
CAN I WATCH IT ON TV?
Yes - the match will be televised on Sky Sports in the UK. Here's the schedule.
CAN I STILL GET TICKETS?
MATCH BUZZ
MATCH FACTS
- The last time these two sides met on a Thursday in the Premier League was in November 1994, with Manchester United winning 5-0 thanks to an Andrei Kanchelskis hat-trick.
- Jose Mourinho has failed to win any of his last four Premier League games against Manchester City (D2 L2) – this after winning six successive top-flight encounters with the Citizens between December 2005 and February 2014.
- Jose Mourinho has won just four of his 18 meetings with Pep Guardiola (D6 L8), but the Portuguese won the last encounter with his Spanish opponent – a 1-0 win in the EFL Cup back in October.
- Pep Guardiola could become the fourth manager to win both home and away Manchester derbies in a debut top-flight season after John Bentley, Sven-Göran Eriksson and Manuel Pellegrini.
- Wayne Rooney has scored 11 goals in Manchester derbies (all comps) – more than any other player in the history of this fixture – but hasn’t scored in any of his last five.
- Sergio Aguero has now scored in five successive Premier League appearances for Manchester City and could equal his best such-run in the competition with a goal in this match (six appearances in a row between April-May 2016).
- Aguero has scored eight goals in 10 competitive appearances for Manchester City against Manchester United but has failed to score in his last two games against them.
- Manchester City have only lost one of their 15 home league games this season, but only neighbours Man Utd (9) have drawn more home games than them in the top flight this season (6).
- Only Alan Shearer (190) has scored in more different Premier League games than Wayne Rooney (149 – level with Frank Lampard & Andrew Cole).
- Manchester United are now unbeaten in 23 successive league matches and if they avoid defeat in this match they’ll equal their longest-ever unbeaten run in the top-flight within a single season (24 games in 2010-11).
BOOKIES' ODDS
Man City 19/20, Draw 14/5, Manchester United 7/2
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