Manchester United vs Burnley: Preview, Head-to-Head, Probable Lineups and Kick-off Details

Manchester United will host Burnley at Old Trafford in the third round of the Premier League 2025/2026 season on August 30th at 5pm East Africa Time.

The Red Devils, under the guidance of Ruben Amorim, are still searching for their first league victory of the campaign as they welcome Scott Parker's Burnley side.

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Referee Samuel Barrott will oversee this encounter between two teams with contrasting starts to the season, making this an intriguing early-season clash.

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Manchester United currently sit in 16th place with just one point from their opening two Premier League fixtures, already falling behind in the early standings.

Burnley, meanwhile, occupy 11th position with three points, having secured a win in one of their first two matches.

The three-point gap between these sides highlights the importance of this fixture for the hosts, who will be desperate to kickstart their campaign and avoid falling further behind their rivals.

A win for Burnley could potentially propel them into the top half of the table, while United need a victory to ease growing pressure and begin climbing the standings.

Manchester United have endured a frustrating start to the season, failing to secure a win in their last five matches across all competitions. They were held to a 2-2 draw by Grimsby in the EFL Cup on 27 August following another 1-1 stalemate against Fulham in the Premier League three days before the game.

Their league campaign began with a narrow 1-0 defeat to Arsenal on 17 August, while pre-season ended with draws against Fiorentina and Everton .

Burnley have shown better form recently, defeating Derby County 2-1 in the EFL Cup on and securing a comfortable 2-0 victory over Sunderland in the Premier League.

However, they suffered a heavy 3-0 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur in their season opener on 16 August, following pre-season losses to Lazio and Stoke City.

The recent history between these teams has been closely contested, with Manchester United holding a slight edge. Their most recent encounter ended in a 1-1 draw at Old Trafford on April 27, 2024, where Antony scored for United in the 79th minute after Mohamed Amdouni had converted a penalty for Burnley.

Prior to that, United secured a narrow 1-0 victory at Turf Moor on September 23, 2023, thanks to a Bruno Fernandes goal just before halftime.

The Red Devils also claimed a 2:0 win in an EFL Cup fourth-round tie at Old Trafford on December 21, 2022, with Christian Eriksen and Marcus Rashford on the scoresheet.

Another 1-1 draw occurred at Turf Moor on February 8, 2022, where Paul Pogba's opener was canceled out by Jay Rodriguez, while United's most convincing recent victory came at Old Trafford on December 30, 2021, when they won 3-1.

Lisandro Martinez remains absent for Manchester United as he recovers from a long-standing knee issue. Noussair Mazraoui is nearing a return from a thigh issue, but the weekend game is likely to be too soon for him.

Having made eight changes in midweek, manager Ruben Amorim is set to mix and match once more. That could involve a change between the posts, where Altay Bayindir will push to dislodge Andre Onana, who had another difficult afternoon against Grimsby. Bayindir has also made an unsure beginning, yet may be handed the opportunity.

Defensive reinforcements are on the horizon with Matthijs de Ligt, Leny Yoro and Luke Shaw all available again. In midfield, captain Bruno Fernandes is likely to start alongside either Casemiro or Manuel Ugarte. Fernandes boasts an impressive record against newly promoted sides, notching 10 direct goal involvements (four goals, six assists) in his last eight Premier League starts against them.

Up front, Benjamin Sesko — who was handed his first start in midweek after two substitute league appearances — is set to lead the line once more. New signings Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha will provide attacking support on either flank.

Burnley, meanwhile, remain without Zeki Amdouni (ACL), Manuel Benson (Achilles) and Jordan Beyer (knee). Connor Roberts is nearing fitness following a knock but Saturday's match may come too soon for his comeback.

New recruits Armando Broja, Axel Tuanzebe and Bashir Humphreys, all of whom signed permanently this summer, featured in midweek and could be included in the matchday squad again. Manager Scott Parker will probably return to the XI which began against Sunderland, with former-United duo Martin Dubravka and Hannibal Mejbri, former-City defender Kyle Walker, and goalscorers Josh Cullen and Jaidon Anthony all vying for starting positions.

Manchester United: Bayindir, Yoro, De Ligt, Shaw, Amad, Casemiro, Fernandes, Dorgu, Mbeumo, Sesko, Cunha

Burnley: Dubravka; Walker, Humphreys, Esteve, Ekdal, Hartman; Mejbri, Ugochukwu, Cullen, Anthony; Foster