Manchester United vs Sabah: Champions League Return at Old Trafford
Manchester United Faces Sabah in Champions League Group Stage Opener
Manchester United marks its long-awaited comeback to the Champions League on Thursday evening at Old Trafford, welcoming Azerbaijani newcomers Sabah. This will be the first competitive clash between these two teams.
Michael Carrick's squad missed out on European football last season for the first time since 2014-15. Now, they are back in the Champions League after a three-year absence. United enters this match following a dramatic 2-2 draw against Everton, where they twice took the lead before conceding a stoppage-time equalizer by Ainsley Maitland-Niles. Currently, United sits 11th in the Premier League with four points from three games.
On the other side, Sabah arrives with confidence, having won six of their eight Champions League qualifying matches to reach the group stage for the first time. Their recent domestic form is impressive too, having defeated Zira 5-0 with a hat-trick from Joy-Lance Mickels.
Match Details
- Date: Thursday, 10 September 2026
- Kick-off: 20:00 BST
- Venue: Old Trafford
- Referee: Willy Delajod (France)
- Last Meeting: First-ever encounter
Team News
Several players remain sidelined for United: Matthijs de Ligt (back), Manuel Ugarte (knee), Carlos Baleba (ankle), Amad Diallo (ankle), and Tom Heaton (hamstring). Marcus Rashford is under evaluation after being subbed off against Everton due to a muscular issue but is expected to be fit. With the Manchester derby looming on Sunday, Carrick may rotate his lineup, potentially bringing back Leny Yoro, Noussair Mazraoui, and Andrey Santos.
Sabah has a fully fit squad for their Champions League group debut. Joy-Lance Mickels, who has netted eight goals in eleven appearances this season, is expected to spearhead the attack alongside Veljko Simic. Kaheem Parris is also likely to start under coach Valdas Dambrauskas.
Recent Form
United has managed only one win in their last seven Champions League group-stage games, losing four of those. The team drew 2-2 with Everton recently, falling behind the Premier League leaders Manchester City by five points after three matches. Their last progression past the group stage was in 2021-22 when Atletico Madrid knocked them out in the round of 16.
Sabah impressed during the qualifiers with six wins in eight matches and kept four clean sheets, reaching the league phase for the first time. They are among four teams debuting in the group stage this year alongside Como, LASK, and Viking. Domestically, they top the Azerbaijan Premier League, winning all three opening games including a 5-0 rout over Zira.
Predicted Lineups
- Manchester United: Lammens; Dalot, Yoro, Martinez, Mazraoui; Santos, Mainoo; Mbeumo, Fernandes, Cunha; Sesko
- Sabah: Pokatilov; Solvet, Dashdamirov, Puchacz, Zedadka; Rakhmonaliev, Isaev, Lepinjica, Parris; Mickels, Simic
Broadcast Information
The match will air live in the UK on TNT Sports 1 and TNT Sports Ultimate, with streaming available via HBO Max.
