Swansea City host Manchester United at the Liberty stadium in the Premier League, with this season's joint top-scorers - Miguel Michu and Robin van Persie - set to face each other for the first time.

The Welsh club are looking to halt a two-match losing streak in the league, while the Red Devils, who are on a five-game winning streak, will be keen to re-establish a six-point advantage over rivals Manchester City at the top of the table

Manchester United
Reuters

Where to Watch Live

The match will be shown live on Sky Sports 1 and Sky Sports 1 HD from 1:30pm GMT. Live radio commentary is available on Talksport.

Overview

Swansea are currently 11th in the Premier League table, with 23 points from 17 games. Michael Laudrup's side will be looking to bounce back from consecutive defeats against Norwich City and Tottenham Hotspur, after a brilliant start to the season. Their current poor run was preceded by a six-match unbeaten streak, in which they won three.

The 1-0 loss to Spurs last week was controversial; replays showed that goal scorer Jan Vertonghen was in an offside position when Kyle Walker whipped in the free-kick from which he scored. However, the defeat was offset by their 1-0 win over Middlesbrough in midweek, which put the Swans through to the semi-finals of the League Cup, where they will face Chelsea in a two-legged tie for a place in the final.

The Red Devils, on the other hand, have been firing on all cylinders to make their way up to the top of the table, having scored 41 goals, eight more than second-placed City. However, it is their defence that has troubled United this season, having already conceding 24 goals, compared with the 33 goals they gave away in the whole of last season.

United have managed only three clean sheets in seventeen league games so far, and with the free-scoring Michu starting for the Swans, their defence will be under immense pressure. However, Sir Alex Ferguson will be boosted by the return to fitness of captain Nemanja Vidic, who made an appearance from the bench in United's 3-1 win over Sunderland last week.

Form Guide

Swansea City

  • Last Five (all competitions, most recent first): L W L W W
  • Last Match: Tottenham Hotspur 1-0 Swansea City

Manchester United

  • Last Five (all competitions, most recent first): W W L W W
  • Last Match: Manchester United 3-1 Sunderland

Team News

Swansea City: Angel Rangel is a doubt for this game with a calf problem, while Neil Taylor remains a long-term absentee due to a knee injury. No.1 stopper Michel Vorm is back in contention after missing two months with a groin injury, but Gerhard Tremmel is expected to keep his place. Pablo Hernandez returns to the squad after recovering from a thigh injury.

Probable Line-Up (4-2-3-1): Tremmel; Tiendalli, Chico, Williams, Davies; Britton, Ki; Dyer, de Guzman, Routledge; Michu

Manchester United: Shinji Kagawa (knee), Rafael, Nani and Anderson (all hamstring) have been ruled out, and most of them are expected to remain unavailable until the New Year. Vidic has returned to the side but Ferguson has stated that he is not yet ready to start the game, while Jonny Evans is back from a hamstring problem.

Probable Line-Up (4-4-1-1): de Gea; Jones, Ferdinand, Smalling, Evra; Valencia, Cleverley, Carrick, Young; Rooney; van Persie

Manchester United FC