Fulham arrive at Craven Cottage with a point to prove and a manager, Álvaro Arbeloa, who has them punching above their weight. The recent run has been scrappy but spirited — they gave Liverpool an excellent run for their money, and that performance will have the Cottage faithful believing. Tom Cairney is out with a knee problem, and Tete joins him on the absentee list, but Ryan Sessegnon is on the verge of returning from a groin issue and will undergo a late fitness test. That is a boost. Arbeloa is expected to revert to the side that pushed Liverpool so close, meaning Cesar Palacios — despite a goal and assist at the London Stadium — should drop back to the bench. Fulham at home are never a soft touch. They press, they harry, they make life uncomfortable.

Manchester United, by contrast, are wobbling. Back-to-back losses is bad enough, but the manner of them — against ten men, and a two-goal collapse — has heightened concerns about Michael Carrick's Red Devils. This is a team leaking goals, and the confidence looks brittle. Harry Maguire has been battling, but United have been porous at the back. The recent loss to Manchester City, courtesy of a controversial VAR-awarded Erling Haaland winner, will have stung. Carrick is under pressure, and a trip to west London is exactly the kind of fixture that can turn a wobble into a crisis. United need a response. But do they have the midfield to deliver it?