MANCHESTER, Sporting Alert – Team news ahead of the Manchester derby between Manchester United and Manchester City at Etihad Stadium.
Don’t miss live scores and updates will be on www.livescores.com.
Manchester City, in their team reports, have decided to start with Martin Demichelis alongside Eliaquim Mangala in the backline, after defender Nicolas Otamendi failed his late fitness test.
Manchester United have made two changes to the starting side with Matteo Darmian and Morgan Schneiderlin coming into the line-up for Guillermo Varela and Marouane Fellaini.
They are four points behind their rivals heading into this clash.
The visitors head into this game in desperate need of a victory if they want to finish in the top four this season and make the Champions League after they were knocked out of the Europa League by Liverpool in midweek.
#mufc XI: De Gea, Darmian, Smalling, Blind, Rojo, Schneiderlin, Carrick, Lingard, Mata, Martial, Rashford. pic.twitter.com/4A4RHSNNDU
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) March 20, 2016
TEAM NEWS: How City line up in the 171st #ManchesterDerby! #CMONCITY #cityvunited #mcfc pic.twitter.com/CCvzWbw5sj
— Manchester City FC (@MCFC) March 20, 2016
Manager Louis van Gaal, speaking ahead of kick-off, admits that this derby is an important game for the Red Devils and result must be positive.
“We are now four points behind (in the race for top four),” the Dutchman said. “We have to win, otherwise the gap gets bigger and bigger.
“If we lose, then it is seven points and have to play maybe eight matches which is very sharp to recover from. It would still be possible, but very difficult I think.”
The Red Devils continue to be without leading forward and captain Wayne Rooney, who traveled to the stadium to watch the game.
Watch the Manchester City vs Manchester United EPL derby live on Sky Sports 1/HD, NBC, and the NBC Sports Live Extra. Live radio streaming will be on BBC Radio 5 Live and talkSport. Live scores and updates will be on www.livescores.com.
Man City team: Hart, Sagna, Demichelis, Mangala, Clichy, Fernandinho, Toure, Navas, Sterling, Silva, Aguero. Subs: Caballero, Zabaleta, Kolarov, Fernando, M.Garcia, Bony, Iheanacho.
Man United team: De Gea, Darmian, Smalling, Blind, Rojo, Schneiderlin, Carrick, Lingard, Mata, Martial, Rashford. Subs: Romero, Fosu-Mensah, Valencia, Fellaini, Schweinsteiger, Januzaj, Memphis.
