Man Utd v Middlesbrough predictions: United to stay on the trophy trail

Free football tips, best bets and analysis for Manchester United v Middlesbrough in the FA Cup fourth round on Friday.

Where to watch

ITV, 8pm Friday

Best bet

Man Utd to win and both teams to score
1pt 5-2 bet365

Team news

Manchester United
Mason Greenwood will not train or play for the club until further notice and Edinson Cavani and Jesse Lingard are being rested. Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Paul Pogba and Luke Shaw could be back in contention.

Middlesbrough
Riley McGree (Covid) and injured trio Sammy Ameobi, Darnell Fisher and Marc Bola are unavailable. James Lea Siliki is on international duty.

Match preview

Premier League clubs have enjoyed a short winter break but there is no chance of a gentle return to action for Manchester United, who face a key FA Cup fourth-round tie with Middlesbrough which could be critical to their hopes of landing a major trophy.

United are not going to win the Premier League title and they are 20-1 shots for Champions League glory, but they have lost just lost one of 13 matches under Ralf Rangnick so will be perhaps targeting the FA Cup.

The Red Devils have had a testing few days following Mason Greenwood's arrest, as well as Anthony Martial and Donny van de Beek's departures on loan, but their clear aims are to secure a top-four finish and win some silverware.

They kicked off their FA Cup adventure with a hard-fought 1-0 success at home to Aston Villa and will not be given a smooth ride by Middlesbrough, who have looked a different team since Chris Wilder arrived at the Riverside three months ago.

Boro have picked up 23 points from 11 matches under the former Sheffield United gaffer – lifting them from 14th to seventh in the Championship table – and they look well equipped for the run-in after clinching loan deals for Premier League forwards Folarin Balogun and Aaron Connolly.

The new arrivals have added extra quality, but the main threat to United comes from Slovenian striker Andraz Sporar, who has bagged four goals in his last six appearances.

Wilder's brief is to get Boro into the playoffs, but he also loves a challenge and will relish the prospect of taking on one of the top teams in the country.

The 54-year-old likes his teams to play with a positive mindset and takes tactical risks by affording his wide central defenders the freedom to push forward in open play.

And Boro's bold approach could unsettle United's defence, which has looked far from secure when put under serious pressure.

United were allowed to dominate during their recent 1-0 success at home to West Ham but they were far less convincing in the preceding 3-1 victory at Brentford when conceding nine shots on target.

Boro are likely to mirror aspects of Brentford's approach by getting on the front foot, but they are sure to leave space in behind and could be punished in fairly ruthless fashion.

United may take a while to settle down after a 13-day break, but their world-class attacking players should eventually make the difference in a high-scoring encounter.

Key stat

Middlesbrough have scored in 12 of their last 14 matches.

Inside info

Manchester United

Penalty taker Bruno Fernandes/Cristiano Ronaldo
Free-kick wizard Bruno Fernandes/Cristiano Ronaldo
Set-piece aerial threat Harry Maguire
Card magnet Harry Maguire

Middlesbrough

Penalty taker Andraz Sporar
Free-kick wizardPaddy McNair
Set-piece aerial threatMatt Crooks
Card magnetMatt Crooks/Paddy McNair

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