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Oct 10, 2026, 7:16 AM GMT+1
Matt Smith is a football writer covering the Premier League and exclusive news for GIVEMESPORT. Matt joined the company in March 2023 and is an avid Everton supporter who regularly attends games in his spare time
He has previously worked for CaughtOffside where he covered world football including transfers, match reports, previews, and more. Matt also works for Squakwa, FotMob, WhoScored, and regularly appears on Sky Sports to speak about Everton.
He also creates tactical analysis social media content and regularly appears on podcasts. After spending a few years coaching, playing, and analysing football, Matt moved over to the writing side of the game a few years ago.
Matt also works in commentary and match reporting, providing detailed analysis on some of the biggest games in England and Europe, with his reports regularly published on the Premier League website.
He has amassed over 28,000 followers on X by giving his insight on football, predominantly focusing on the tactical side of the game.
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Manchester Utd and Tottenham will go head-to-head at Old Trafford in the Premier League on Saturday evening.
Michael Carrick's side sit 12th in the table with five points from their opening five games, having won just once. The Red Devils drew 1-1 away at Fulham in their last league outing before the international break.
Roberto De Zerbi's side are bottom of the table without a win, with two draws and three defeats from five games, and they lost 3-2 at home to Aston Villa last time out.
Both sides are dealing with some injury issues heading into the game, and this is how GIVEMESPORT expects the teams to line up as a result.
Man Utd will be without Patrick Dorgu for a number of weeks after he picked up a hamstring problem on international duty, while Benjamin Sesko is also ruled out as he continues to recover from a shin issue.
There are doubts over Noussair Mazraoui, who took a knock with Morocco, and over Amad, Kobbie Mainoo and Marcus Rashford, who have only returned to light training.
Carlos Baleba is closing in on a debut following his ankle injury, while Matthijs de Ligt, Manuel Ugarte and Tom Heaton all remain sidelined.
| Man Utd Injuries |
||
|---|---|---|
| Player |
Injury |
Potential Return Date |
| Patrick Dorgu |
Hamstring |
Unknown (several weeks) |
| Benjamin Sesko |
Shin |
Unknown |
| Noussair Mazraoui |
Back |
10/10/2026 (doubt) |
| Amad |
Ankle |
10/10/2026 (doubt) |
| Matthijs De Ligt |
Back |
Late October |
| Tom Heaton |
Hamstring |
Unknown |
| Manuel Ugarte |
Knee (ACL) |
Spring/summer 2027 |
Speaking in his pre-match press conference, Carrick shared an update on his squad ahead of the game.
"Patrick came off and it looks like he will be out for probably a number of weeks. Nous came off and took a knock. He's not quite right yet, so we'll see how he is.
"Where else are we at? Carlos is improving, he's trained a lot and is improving. Amad has done a little bit of training, Marcus has done a little bit of training, Kobbie has done a little bit of training. So it's a little bit mixed really.
"Ben is further away, with the issue he has got. He won't be ready."
It's a difficult team to predict when it comes to United due to the number of doubts Carrick has mentioned.
It could mean a start for Andrey Santos in midfield, with it perhaps coming too soon for both Kobbie Mainoo and Carlos Baleba.
No Benjamin Sesko means Matheus Cunha could start in the centre-forward role for United.
Spurs will be without Pedro Porro, who is out with a hamstring problem and set to miss plenty of games, while Mykhailo Mudryk is also sidelined with an ankle injury.
There is better news on Micky van de Ven and Jan Paul van Hecke, who both picked up knocks on Netherlands duty but are available, and James Maddison is also available despite a minor setback in training. Dejan Kulusevski is back training and travelling with the squad, but De Zerbi would not say when he will return to a matchday squad. Wilson Odobert and Xavi Simons remain out with long-term knee injuries.
| Tottenham Injuries |
||
|---|---|---|
| Player |
Injury |
Potential Return Date |
| Pedro Porro |
Hamstring |
November |
| Mykhailo Mudryk |
Ankle |
31/10/2026 |
| Dejan Kulusevski |
Knee |
Late October / November |
| Wilson Odobert |
Knee (ACL) |
November |
| Xavi Simons |
Knee (ACL) |
2027 |
Speaking in his pre-match press conference, De Zerbi shared an update on his squad ahead of the game.
No, they are available to play. Micky played four games, 90 minutes, around 90 minutes. JP played just three games, the difference is this. JP, yesterday, wife gave birth to twins, emotional aspect. We have to consider also this one, but both are available to play.
Maddison the same problem and Porro, Pedro and Mudryk both are not available.
After performing well during the international break in a centre-forward role, we could see Mathys Tel given an opportunity there. Dominic Solanke has failed to deliver for Spurs this season, so it wouldn't be a surprise to see De Zerbi try something new.
Mateus Fernandes has also struggled to perform since his move from West Ham in the summer transfer window, so we could see Conor Gallagher return to the starting 11.
Kinsky; Gray, Adarabioyo, Van de Ven, Udogie; Tonali, Bentancur, Fernandes; Savio, Marmoush, Solanke.
Van Hecke faces a late fitness test per that source. -->
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