Europa League preview: Manchester United vs PAOK Thessaloniki

Greek champions PAOK Thessaloniki are Manchester United’s latest opponents in the Europa League this Thursday. They come to Old Trafford having lost one of their last six matches, including a draw with United’s future opponents Viktoria Plzen.

Ruud van Nistelrooy will take charge of the fixture as his third game as interim boss. He has one more after this when the club returns to league action to welcome Leicester City this Sunday.

There is no hiding that Manchester United must be victorious in this encounter after three attempts to attain 3 points have all been unsuccessful.

Manchester United team news for Europa League clash

Mason Mount and Leny Yoro make strides to return to the pitch – the latter yet to make his debut. The former last featured for a short cameo appearance in the 3-0 defeat to Tottenham, where he was withdrawn 40 minutes after his introduction.

When asked about the 18-year-old defender, Van Nistelrooy said (via The Metro): “He’ll be back partially over the coming weeks and we’ll look to get him on board as soon as possible.”

Tyrell Malacia was pictured training with the group – he is not expected to feature. Luke Shaw and Harry Maguire have progressed in their rehabilitation but are not to feature in the squad.

Christian Eriksen and Antony return to the pitch after being sidelined for a brief period. The Brazilian winger last played in the 1-1 draw against Fenerbahce before being subbed 16 minutes after coming on due to injury.

Our opponents: PAOK Thessaloniki

The Greek champions arrive in Manchester as underdogs for the clash. PAOK have also yet to win a Europa League fixture, losing two out of their three opening games.

The Double-Headed Eagle of the North as they are known are placed 30th in the table as it stands. That will result in elimination from the competition if they do not make advancements between now and the final matchday.

PAOK have already come up against two of United’s future opponents – Viktoria Plzen and FCSB. They had to dig deep to earn themselves a point against Plzen. They went two behind after 39 minutes before a late response meant they obtained their first point in this year’s competition.

Former Chelsea man Abdul Rahman Baba levelled proceedings in the 93rd minute, ensuring they did not leave empty-handed.

They will now look to build on this by stunning spectators and earning themselves a point or three against a turbulent Manchester United.

Former Red Shola Shoretire currently plays football for this club and could feature. Shoretire was introduced in the 89th minute in Sunday’s 2-1 win over Lamia and will be eager to take to the pitch.

The English winger scored just last week for PAOK in their 3-0 win over Egaleo in the Greece Cup (Betsson Greek Cup).

A win for Manchester United could take them to around 13th in the league depending on other results. The club will be eager to steer clear of the knockout playoff stages in February.