Manchester United meet Viktoria Plzen for the first time in Thursday’s Europa League tie.
The Czech Republic outfit have nine points in the competition, the same as us, and it’s another big game in the bid to finish in the top eight, in order to progress automatically into the round of 16 and obtain seeded status.
After the losses to Arsenal and Nottingham Forest in the Premier League, Ruben Amorim’s side will be determined to get back to winning ways in the 17:45 GMT kick-off.
Here is all the essential information you need on our next fixture…
As always, you can tune in via ManUtd.com and the United app, where our Match Centre will have rolling updates, opinions and stats across the 90 minutes, as well as the highlights two hours after the final whistle. Longer versions will be made available from Friday.
The game is being screened live on TNT Sports.
Noussair Mazraoui impressed after coming off the bench and will be an option to play from the outset, while Victor Lindelof, Jonny Evans and Luke Shaw remained unavailable.
Amorim is likely to be asked for an update when he holds his pre-match press conference on Wednesday.
Viktoria Plzen look set to be without Svetozar Markovic. The defender was taken to hospital for tests after being injured during the 2-1 away win to Karvina at the weekend.
Matej Vydra, formerly of the likes of Burnley, Watford and Derby County, is a familiar face for Miroslav Koubek’s men.
OPPOSITION REPORT
The Doosan Arena club beat Karvina last time out in the league and are currently second in the domestic table behind unbeaten leaders Slavia Prague. Pavel Sulic scored both goals as the visitors came from behind to claim all three points.
Plzen are unbeaten in this term’s Europa League and have won their last two games, 2-1 against both Real Sociedad and Dynamo Kyiv. They knocked Hearts out to reach this stage of the competition and, if you are looking for a formline with United, the Czech club managed a 2-2 draw away to PAOK, a side we saw off 2-0 at Old Trafford during Ruud van Nistelrooy’s interim stewardship.
However, it is worth pointing out that Viktoria led 2-0 before a red card to Sampson Dweh in the 70th minute, and conceded an injury time equaliser in Greece.
DID YOU KNOW?
United have only played two sides from the Czech Republic competitively before – Dukla Prague and Sparta Prague.
Dukla were beaten 3-1 on aggregate in the European Cup in 1957 and there were a pair of draws in the 1983/84 European Cup Winners’ Cup as we progressed on the away goals rule.
More recently, a goalless draw at Sparta in the Champions League in 2004 was followed by a 4-1 victory at Old Trafford. The aforementioned van Nistelrooy scored all four of goals, one from the penalty spot.
ELSEWHERE IN THE COMPETITION
Check out the slate of Europa League fixtures this week, including a big all-British clash at Ibrox…
WEDNESDAY 10 DECEMBER
Fenerbahce v Athletic Club (15:30 GMT)
THURSDAY 11 DECEMBER
17:45 GMT kick-offs
Hoffenheim v FCSB
Ludogorets v AZ Alkmaar
Malmo v Galatasaray
Olympiacos v FC Twente
PAOK v Ferencvaros
Roma v Braga
Union St. Gilloise v Nice
Viktoria Plzen v UNITED
20:00 GMT kick-offs
Ajax v Lazio
Bodo/Glimt v Besiktas
Elfsborg v Qarabag
FC Porto v Midtjylland
Lyon v Eintracht Frankfurt
Maccabi Tel Aviv v RFS
Rangers v Tottenham
Real Sociedad v Dynamo Kyiv
Slavia Prague v Anderlecht