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Stamford Bridge, London
Saturday 31 October, 12:30pm
Manchester United travel to Stamford Bridge on Saturday without a win since 10 September, with Michael Carrick still in charge after the club's hierarchy decided on Monday to give the manager more time to turn things around.
Chelsea, who are fifth, host the 12:30pm kick-off after a home defeat by Tottenham Hotspur and a League Cup exit on penalties at Anfield, so Xabi Alonso's side need a reaction of their own.
Chelsea vs Manchester United preview and form guide
Seven points from eight games leave United 16th, and the lone win in that run was a 5-2 victory over Ipswich Town on 30 August, alongside four draws and three defeats.
The defence is the bigger concern, with 13 goals conceded and no league clean sheet, and supporters booed the players off after the 0-3 home defeat by Bournemouth on 25 October.
European football has brought no relief either, with a 2-0 defeat by Atletico Madrid on 13 October and a 4-1 loss to Como on 21 October in the Champions League.
The Como result also exposed a rift between Bruno Fernandes and Carrick over the decision not to press man to man, and the captain was left on the bench against Bournemouth before the pair held talks on Tuesday.
On their travels United are yet to win in the league, having drawn with Everton, Fulham and Leeds and lost to Hull City, and they have scored four goals across those four games.
Bryan Mbeumo has four of their 10 league goals, with Fernandes on three and Benjamin Sesko, who has one, ruled out by a shin injury.
Fifth in the table on 13 points, Chelsea have been hard to read this month, beating Bournemouth 5-1 on 10 October and then losing 0-2 to Tottenham a fortnight later.
Spurs won it within three minutes, first when Mike Penders turned the ball into his own net in the 77th minute and then when Cole Palmer received a second yellow card in the 80th, with Mathys Tel sealing the result late on.
Midweek brought a 1-1 draw against Liverpool at Anfield in the League Cup, with Chelsea losing 6-5 on penalties after Valentin Barco, Emmanuel Emegha and Wesley Fofana failed to score their penalties.
Their home league record reads two wins, a draw and a defeat, with 11 goals for and eight against, and every one of their last five matches at Stamford Bridge in all competitions has seen them concede.
Joao Pedro leads the team with five league goals but is out with a thigh injury, which leaves Rogers on four and Pedro Neto on three as the leading threats.
Team news: Chelsea vs Manchester United
Manchester United team news
Marcus Rashford is highly unlikely to feature with a hip problem, but Kobbie Mainoo is closer, having trained on Wednesday after four missed games, and is expected to be a substitute.
Sesko, Luke Shaw, Patrick Dorgu and Manuel Ugarte all remain unavailable, with Sesko expected to be out until at least January.
Lisandro Martinez came off the bench against Bournemouth after recovering from a thigh problem and could return to the back four in place of Ayden Heaven.
With Fernandes restored, United are expected to line up in a 4-2-3-1, with Amad Diallo and Matheus Cunha either side of him and Mbeumo alone up front.
Manchester United predicted lineup vs Chelsea
Lammens; Yoro, Maguire, Martinez, Dalot; Baleba, Tielemans; Diallo, Fernandes, Cunha; Mbeumo
Chelsea team news
Maxence Lacroix is likely to be absent after pulling up with a hamstring problem before half time at Anfield, and Alonso gave no timescale, saying only that it was too early to tell.
Fofana, who started alongside him on Wednesday, is the likeliest replacement next to Levi Colwill, and Alonso has used four defenders in each of his last two games.
Pep Chavarria has missed three games and remains a major doubt, whereas Moises Caicedo and Malo Gusto, substituted at the same moment at Anfield, are expected to be available.
Palmer is back after serving his ban in the League Cup, and the injury list still holds Joao Pedro, Emiliano Martinez, Reece James and Jamie Gittens.
Chelsea predicted lineup vs Manchester United
Penders; Acheampong, Fofana, Colwill, Hato; Henderson, Caicedo; Neto, Palmer, Quenda; Rogers
Head-to-head: Chelsea vs Manchester United
United have won the last two league meetings, 2-1 at Old Trafford on 20 September 2025 and 1-0 at Stamford Bridge on 18 April.
In April, with Liam Rosenior in charge of Chelsea, Cunha scored on the stroke of half time to give United their first league win at Stamford Bridge since 17 February 2020.
Before that the sides shared a 1-1 draw in November 2024 and Chelsea won 1-0 in May 2025, and none of the last five games in the series has been decided by more than one goal.
Peter Bankes, who also refereed United's win in September 2025, takes charge on Saturday.
Our Chelsea vs Manchester United prediction and tips
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Odds correct as of Thursday, 29 October 2026, 14:12 GMT.
- Morgan Rogers to score for Chelsea
- Cole Palmer to add the second after his return from suspension
- Bryan Mbeumo to pull one back for United
Ellis has been working as a freelance sports writer since graduating from University in 2023. He is especially passionate about football, with a particular love for Manchester United.