Key Manchester United stars face fitness battles. Will Matheus Cunha or Matthijs De Ligt be ready to challenge Liverpool? Crucial return dates revealed.
Manchester United have returned to winning form with back-to-back victories over Chelsea and Brentford, two teams pushing for European football.
Michael Carrick's Reds now turn their attention to Liverpool, who occupy fourth place and trail United by three points in third.
While both clubs look on course to finish inside the top five and qualify for next season's Champions League, there remains plenty at stake as the long-time rivals prepare to clash at Old Trafford.
United also have the chance to complete their first league double over Liverpool since the 2025/26 season after claiming a 2-1 win at Anfield earlier in the campaign.
The side are hoping to have a pretty well-shaped squad heading into the fixture, with Carrick having issued the latest injury news on several players.
Matheus Cunha
What happened: Having scored the winning goal against Chelsea, Matheus Cunha missed the tie against Brentford with a sore hip flexor, although he was spotted back in training on Thursday.
What's been said: Roundtable understands that Cunha is set to return to the matchday squad against Liverpool.
Possible return date: Sunday, 3 May – Liverpool (H).
Luke Shaw
What happened: Luke Shaw was taken off on the 73rd minute of United's win over Brentford, and was not spotted in the club's latest set of training photos.
What's been said: Having been asked about Shaw's fitness, Carrick replied, "We're in good shape really... Other than that [updates on Cunha and De Ligt], we're in good shape." This suggests Shaw may be fine to play.
Possible return date: Sunday, 3 May – Liverpool (H).
Lisandro Martínez
What happened: Lisandro Martínez was sent off and handed a three game ban after allegedly pulling Dominic Calvert-Lewin's hair.
What's been said: The FA confirmed that United had launched an appeal for the decision, but that it was denied. His final game of the ban will be the Liverpool fixture.
Possible return date: Saturday, 9 May – Sunderland (A).
Matthijs de Ligt
What happened: Matthijs de Ligt played every minute of United's opening 13 league fixtures of the campaign, but a back problem has kept him out of action since the end of November.
What's been said: "Matta is still a little bit further [off] and not involved in the game," Carrick said following his update on Cunha's injury.
Possible return date: N/A