Manchester United Face Azerbaijani Champions Sabah in Their First Champions League Match

Manchester United did not make a smooth start to Michael Carrick's first full season in charge, and they are now set to play their first match since returning to the Champions League. On September 10 Beijing time, they will host Azerbaijani champions Sabah at Old Trafford.

Sabah Founded Just Eight Years Ago, Making Champions League Debut

The Sabah club was founded only eight years ago, and this will be their first appearance on the Champions League stage. Last weekend, they thrashed Zira 5-0 in the league, with Rwanda international Joey-Lance Mickels scoring a hat-trick. Serbian forward Veljko Simic is expected to start.

Manchester United Just Suffered a Stoppage-Time Winner Against Everton

In their previous match against Everton, Manchester United were hit by another setback when Ainsley Maitland-Niles scored a long-range effort in stoppage time. Carrick urgently needs a positive start in the Champions League league phase. Manchester United have been absent from European competition for a year, and last season they lost to Tottenham in the Europa League final. Their current target is to finish in the top eight and qualify directly for the last 16.

Injury and Squad Information

For Manchester United, Matthijs de Ligt, Amad Diallo, Manuel Ugarte and Tom Heaton are all out injured, while Carlos Baleba is not yet ready. Carrick revealed that Marcus Rashford “felt a little uncomfortable” after being substituted against Everton. Outside Manchester United's 25-man A list, the B list includes Kobbie Mainoo and Leny Yoro.

Match Time and Broadcast Information

The Champions League match will kick off at 8 p.m. UK time on September 10. TNT Sports 1 and TNT Sports Ultimate will provide live coverage, while HBO Max will offer streaming, with the broadcast beginning at 7 p.m.

Expected Starting Lineups

Manchester United expected lineup: Lammens; Dalot, Maguire, Martinez, Shaw; Tielemans, Mainoo; Mbeumo, Fernandes, Rashford; Sesko.

Sabah expected lineup: Bokatykov; Isayev, Dashdamirov, Solvet, Pukhach; Rakhmonaliyev, Lepinica; Mutallimov, Simic, Nwachukwu; Mickels.