Man Utd v Tottenham Hotspur preview: kick-off time, team news and form
Manchester United host Tottenham Hotspur at Old Trafford on Saturday 10th October 2026, with kick-off set for 5.30pm. It's a huge occasion for both clubs as the Premier League returns following the extended international break.
There's plenty at stake here. United sit 12th in the table after a stuttering start, while Spurs are down in 20th place having picked up just two points from their opening five league games. The Guardian describes this as already a "must-win" fixture for Michael Carrick given United's own scratchy beginning to the season, and with pressure mounting on the manager, as Manchester Evening News notes, three points would go a long way to easing the tension (The Guardian) (Manchester Evening News).
Neither side arrives in great nick. United's recent form reads DLLWD across all competitions, having drawn with Everton, beaten Sabah in the Champions League, lost to Manchester City and Brighton, and drawn away at Fulham. Spurs have endured an even tougher run - LLDDL - including defeats to Newcastle, Liverpool and Aston Villa, plus draws with Nottingham Forest and Everton, and they've managed just two goals in their five league outings so far this season.
Michael Carrick, who himself left Tottenham to join United back in 2006, has called his former club "a good team" ahead of the clash, according to ManUtd.com (ManUtd.com) (Manchester Evening News). Despite their lowly position, Spurs have shown they can trouble good sides, and Roberto De Zerbi's men will be desperate to arrest their own slide.
On the injury front, it's a worrying picture for United. Manchester Evening News reports that Carrick has issued updates on seven players with three ruled out entirely, while a wider update lists as many as 15 players who could miss out through injury (Manchester Evening News) (Manchester Evening News). Benjamin Sesko remains a particular concern, with Carrick confirming there is no timeline for the striker's return after he suffered a second shin injury, and the club are now said to be weighing up their options up front as a result (ESPN) (Manchester Evening News). Marcus Rashford's underwhelming form has also been highlighted as part of United's early-season troubles, while further fitness details on Rashford, Sesko and Dorgu are among the latest returns being assessed (Manchester Evening News) (The Guardian).
Tottenham, meanwhile, have received a boost of their own. The Evening Standard reports that both Micky van de Ven and Jan Paul van Hecke have been confirmed as available for selection by Roberto De Zerbi, despite having picked up foot and hand issues respectively (Evening Standard).
With so many question marks over personnel, Carrick's team selection will be closely watched, and Manchester Evening News writers have been debating their preferred starting line-ups ahead of the visit of Spurs (Manchester Evening News) (Manchester Evening News).
Kick-off at Old Trafford is 5.30pm on Saturday 10th October.
Written with the help of AI, using the match facts and the headlines from the publishers credited above. Each point links to the original report — tap the source name to read it in full.
