Manchester United Hosts Sabah in Champions League Opener at Old Trafford

Manchester United Faces Sabah in Champions League Return

Manchester United makes its eagerly awaited return to the Champions League on Thursday night, welcoming Azerbaijani newcomers Sabah to Old Trafford. This marks the first competitive encounter between these two clubs.

After missing out on European football last season—their first absence since 2014-15—Michael Carrick's squad is back in the Champions League for the first time in three years. They come into this match after a dramatic 2-2 draw against Everton, where they led twice before conceding a stoppage-time equalizer from Ainsley Maitland-Niles. Currently, United sits 11th in the Premier League with four points from three games.

On the other side, Sabah arrives brimming with confidence, having won six of their eight Champions League qualifying matches, securing their spot in the group stage for the first time ever. Their recent domestic form includes a commanding 5-0 win over Zira, highlighted by 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 competitive meeting

Team News

Manchester United still miss several key players: Matthijs de Ligt (back), Manuel Ugarte (knee), Carlos Baleba (ankle), Amad Diallo (ankle), and Tom Heaton (hamstring). Marcus Rashford is under assessment after being withdrawn against Everton due to a muscle issue but is expected to play. With the Manchester derby looming on Sunday, Carrick is likely to rotate his squad, possibly bringing back Leny Yoro, Noussair Mazraoui, and Andrey Santos.

Sabah have a full squad ready for their Champions League group-stage debut. Joy-Lance Mickels, who has netted eight goals in 11 games this season, is expected to spearhead their attack alongside Veljko Simic. Kaheem Parris is also set to start under coach Valdas Dambrauskas.

Recent Form

Manchester United have struggled in the Champions League group stages lately, winning only one of their last seven matches and losing four. Their most recent outing was the 2-2 draw at Everton, and they currently trail league leaders Manchester City by five points. The last time United made it beyond the group phase was in the 2021-22 season, when Atletico Madrid knocked them out in the round of 16.

Sabah impressed during qualifying, winning six out of eight matches and keeping four clean sheets. They are among four teams making their league-stage debut this year, along with Como, LASK, and Viking. Domestically, they top the Azerbaijan Premier League after three straight wins, including the recent 5-0 demolition of 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 be shown live in the UK on TNT Sports 1 and TNT Sports Ultimate. Streaming is available through HBO Max.