The curtains will fall on Gameweek 32 of the 2025/26 Premier League season on Monday. Manchester United vs Leeds United will be the final match of the ongoing round of fixtures, with both teams desperate to secure three points.
Manchester United will return to action after nearly a month after facing Bournemouth in a frustrating 2-2 draw on March 21. Since then, many teams have played up to four games, while the Red Devils have been forced to enjoy a mini vacation before the busy run-in period.
Nevertheless, Michael Carrick’s men know they can strengthen their hold on the third spot in the Premier League standings after Aston Villa dropped points against Nottingham Forest on Sunday. On the other hand, Leeds United will come into Monday’s Premier League clash high on confidence after staving off West Ham United to reach the FA Cup semi-finals.
While the Hammers were on the cusp of mounting an unbelievable comeback deep into injury time, Daniel Farke’s men managed to hold on for a 2-2 draw before prevailing on penalties. That stretched Leeds United’s unbeaten run to four games, and the Whites have not lost a match in over two months.
The reverse fixture saw Manchester United come from a goal down to hold Leeds United to a 1-1 draw, with Matheus Cunha scoring the equaliser. The Hard Tackle looks closer at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Michael Carrick has a new roster issue that is hampering his preparations ahead of his side’s latest fixture. The Manchester United head coach may be bereft of the services of three first-team players on Monday.
Harry Maguire will serve a suspension after being sent off in the Premier League game against Bournemouth. The English international accompanies Matthijs de Ligt (lower back) and Patrick Dorgu (hamstring) on the sidelines. However, Lisandro Martinez (calf), Diogo Dalot (illness), Bryan Mbeumo (muscular), and Benjamin Sesko (knock) should be fit and available to take on Leeds United.
Senne Lammens is an automatic pick between the sticks, with Manchester United lining up in a 4-2-3-1 formation in front of him vs Leeds United on Monday. The backline will feature Diogo Dalot, Leny Yoro, Lisandro Martinez, and Luke Shaw.
As for the midfield unit, there is no looking past Casemiro and Kobbie Mainoo in the double pivot, with Bruno Fernandes reprising the no. 10 role. Finally, Benjamin Sesko will lead the line for Manchester United against Leeds United, with Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo being the two wide attackers.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Lammens; Dalot, Yoro, Martinez, Shaw; Casemiro, Mainoo; Mbeumo, Bruno Fernandes, Cunha; Sesko
Unlike his counterpart in the Manchester United dugout, Daniel Farke has new injury concerns to worry about ahead of the trip to Old Trafford. The Leeds United head coach may be without as many as six first-team players on Monday.
Joe Rodon (ankle) and Anton Stach (ankle) are the latest absentees, with the duo joining Daniel James (groin) in the treatment room. Additionally, Farke has been sweating over the fitness of Jaka Bijol (knock), Gabriel Gudmundsson (groin), and Noah Okafor (lower back). The trio faces late fitness tests to determine their availability.
Karl Darlow is an automatic pick between the sticks, with Leeds United lining up in a 3-4-1-2 formation in front of him vs Manchester United on Monday. The central defensive unit will feature Sebastiaan Bornauw, Pascal Struijk, and Jaka Bijol. Meanwhile, Jayden Bogle and James Justin will be the two wing-backs.
The wide duo will provide width in the final third and protect the three centre-backs. As for the midfield unit, there is no looking past Ethan Ampadu and Ao Tanaka in the middle of the park, with Brenden Aaronson reprising the no. 10 role. Finally, Lukas Nmecha and Dominic Calvert-Lewin will be the two strikers for the away side.
Probable Lineup (3-4-1-2): Darlow; Bornauw, Struijk, Bijol; Bogle, Ampadu, Tanaka, Justin; Aaronson; Nmecha, Calvert-Lewin
While Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Lukas Nmecha, and Benjamin Sesko were viable candidates for this section, we have picked Bruno Fernandes as the Player to Watch for Monday’s Premier League clash between Manchester United and Leeds United at Old Trafford.
The Manchester United skipper has a solid record against Leeds United, and he has been involved in eight goals in just six Premier League outings against the West Yorkshire outfit (G6 A2), more than any other Manchester United player has against the Whites in the competition. Meanwhile, Fernandes has created 101 chances in the Premier League this season, the third time he has created 100+ in a campaign in the competition, after 2022/23 (119) and 2023/24 (114).
He is one of only three players on record (from 2003/04) to do this in three separate Premier League seasons, along with Frank Lampard (2006/07, 2008/09, 2009/10) and Kevin De Bruyne (2016/17, 2017/18, 2019/20). So, it is hardly surprising that the Portuguese international has been a candidate for captaincy in FPL heading into Gameweek 32.
Leeds United showed in the reverse fixture that they are not a team to be taken lightly, and even though the Whites have failed to score in four successive Premier League matches, Harry Maguire’s absence will provide windows of opportunity to the away side in the final third.
However, the Red Devils have been exceptional at Old Trafford under Michael Carrick, and they will find a way to eke out a narrow victory. Bruno Fernandes will be at his best, and he will deliver the goods to guide Carrick and his charges to a 2-1 win on Monday night.
