Manchester United suffered a 3-1 humiliation at the hands of their rivals Manchester City before the international break and Jose Mourinho men have a lot of catch-up to do in the Premier League, having already fallen 12 points behind the table-toppers.
However, the Red Devils should draw inspiration from their performances against Everton, Bournemouth and Juventus in recent weeks.
United will be the favourites to bag all three points when they play host to a struggling Crystal Palace unit on Saturday.
Palace are currently placed 16th in the standings and Roy Hodgson’s men will be hoping for a change in fortune after suffering a 1-0 defeat at the hands of Spurs in their previous outing.
Jose Mourinho has several fitness issues to contend with ahead of Saturday’s clash. Anthony Martial, Paul Pogba and Marcus Rashford are nursing knocks and their selection will be subject to a late fitness test.
Luke Shaw is suspended for the weekend clash for picking up five yellow cards and that might open the door for Diogo Dalot to get a start.
Victor Lindelof is likely to be fully fit to start on Saturday, having recovered from a minor illness while Marcus Rashford is doubtful to feature in the starting line up
The Spaniard wasn’t at the top of his game in the last outing but has been a reliable presence between the sticks.
The suspension to Luke Shaw might open the door for the 19-year-old to make his first start in the Premier League.
He has put in some solid shifts at the back but has been rather shaky in the recent games. However, Mourinho is likely to continue with him as there is no potential replacement.
The Swedish international is expected to be fully fit to start on Saturday and United will need him to be at the top of his game.
Shaw’s suspension might force the veteran to switch flanks to accommodate Dalot in the eleven.
The Serb has done a decent job in his role as a shield for the rearguard and there is no reason why Mourinho should bench him.
The Brazilian has failed to justify his huge price tag so far but is likely to get another opportunity as Pogba and Fellaini are short of match fitness.
The knocks to Pogba and Fellaini might open the door for the Spaniard to get another start despite having a nightmare against Manchester City.
The Chilean hasn’t been in great form this season but showed some promise against Bournemouth and Juventus, which should prompt Mourinho to hand him another start.
He should be in high spirits after scoring for England in the UEFA Nations League and Mourinho will be hoping that he can replicate his heroics in the Premier League.
He might be short of match sharpness but the injury to Romelu Lukaku is likely to force the manager to field him in the starting eleven.