With Manchester United confirming Ruben Amorim’s appointment and the Portuguese coach arriving at Old Trafford only on November 11, Ruud van Nistelrooy will be in charge for the side’s home Premier League game against Chelsea on Sunday.
Dutchman Ten Hag was fired after a fourth loss in nine league games left United languishing in 14th place -- 12 points behind leader Manchester City, and his compatriot was made the interim coach.
Nistelrooy, who scored 150 goals for United, got United off to a victorious start in the post-Ten Hag era with an entertaining 5-2 victory over struggling Leicester City in the League Cup on Wednesday, but Chelsea is a different beast.
Under new manager Enzo Maresca, a young squad has given the Stamford Bridge faithful a glimmer of hope that the London club can return to the Champions League.
Led by the imperious Cole Palmer, who has seven league goals and five assists this season, it sits fifth in the table.
READ MORE | Manchester United appoints Ruben Amorim as new head coach; Portuguese coach set to arrive on November 11
It will also be desperate to improve its woeful record against United -- who have lost to Chelsea only once in the last 13 Premier League games.
Such is Maresca’s attention to detail that the Italian is redoing his homework and analysing Van Nistelrooy’s managerial stint at PSV Eindhoven where he led the Eredivise club to a Dutch Cup title.
“I guess it will be Ruud (who takes charge of United). He’s a friend of mine, we played together, we spent a year together at Malaga and we still have a relationship,” Maresca said.
“We started to watch some PSV games. We’d already watched many Manchester United games. I’m sad for Erik and at the same time happy for Ruud. Hopefully I can see him Sunday.”
Chelsea is also looking to return to winning ways after Newcastle United took revenge for last weekend’s loss by dumping it out of the League Cup on Wednesday, a game where Palmer was rested.
NISTELROOY’S FUTURE
Nistelrooy is hopeful he can stay at United long-term after arriving in the close season.
“I’m helping as long as I’m needed and in the future in any capacity... I’m here to give my everything for the club in any capacity,” Van Nistelrooy said.
The weekend kicks off with Newcastle, floundering in 12th place, hosting Arsenal whose title chase hit a couple of speed bumps against Bournemouth and Liverpool to leave it five points adrift.
While Mikel Arteta will be glad to have William Saliba back from suspension, question marks over the fitness of other defenders remain -- including his centre-back partner Gabriel -- while skipper Martin Odegaard, the fulcrum of the side’s attack, remains sidelined.
READ MORE | Premier League 2024-25: Chelsea’s Maresca welcomes reunion with ex-teammate Van Nistelrooy at United
Champion City has a one-point lead and it visits Bournemouth, but Pep Guardiola now has nine players on the injury list after its League Cup loss at Tottenham Hotspur.
“I think we are in trouble, because in nine years we’ve never been in the situation with so many injuries,” Guardiola said.
Liverpool, who drew at Arsenal last weekend, has another stern test against Brighton & Hove Albion which has impressed under Fabian Huerzeler. It will also be a rematch of their League Cup encounter where Liverpool came out 3-2 winner.
Unai Emery’s high-flying Villa travel to London to face Spurs who have blown hot and cold this season to sit eighth. They will hope skipper Son Heung-min is fit again after he missed the 1-0 loss at Crystal Palace.
The bottom three of Ipswich Town, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Southampton will be looking to register their first wins of the season when they play Leicester, Palace and Everton respectively.
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