Manchester United’s final home outing of 2025–26 pits them against Nottingham Forest, who secured Premier League safety last weekend.
With the Red Devils locked in third, there isn’t much riding on this encounter, so a care-free 90 minutes could play out at the Theatre of Dreams this Sunday.
United claimed their place in next season’s Champions League by beating Liverpool 3–2 two weeks ago, following that up with a forgettable 0–0 draw at Sunderland last time out. Their stellar second half to the season means interim manager Michael Carrick is firmly in line to take on the job permanently, and the hosts will be getting a good look at one of their potential future midfield lynchpins in Elliot Anderson this weekend.
Anderson’s equalizer against Newcastle United last Sunday preserved Forest’s status in the top flight, having entered that game bitterly disappointed by what they produced in the second leg of their Europa League semifinal at Villa Park.
The visitors at least have something to build on domestically with Vitor Pereira at the helm, although the Portuguese was soon out of the door at Molineux after keeping Wolverhampton Wanderers up last season.
Man Utd vs. Nottingham Forest Score Prediction
Red Devils Roll on Home Soil
A celebratory Old Trafford is set to greet the two teams on Sunday, with a relaxed atmosphere permeating across the red half of Manchester.
United have enjoyed an excellent 2026 up to this point, with Carrick and his stripped-down, common sense approach emboldening the Red Devils, specifically their impressive stock of attacking talent.
Next season will be a greater challenge if he gets the job permanently, with multiple competitions to juggle and improved expectations, but the Theatre of Dreams will greet Carrick with great acclaim when he speaks to them post-match, believing that they have their ’guy’ for the long haul.
- Final home game reliance: In the last 18 Premier League campaigns, the Red Devils have lost their final home game just once and won 13. They even put on a show when Ruben Amorim was at the helm against a Champions League-chasing Aston Villa last season.
- Desperate Bruno Fernandes: Stubborn Sunderland refused to budge for Fernandes last weekend and he remains two assists away from breaking the Premier League’s single-season record. Despite Forest’s improvement under Vitor Pereira, this is an excellent opportunity for the Portuguese to add to his tally, given that four of his previous five assists have come at home.
- History against the visitors: Forest claimed a 3–2 victory at the Theatre of Dreams last season, but only once in their history have they earned successive wins at Old Trafford, doing so under Brian Clough at the start of the 90s.
Prediction: Man Utd 2–0 Nottingham Forest
Man Utd Predicted Lineup vs. Nottingham Forest
Casemiro had been a doubt for his Old Trafford farewell after missing last week’s Stadium of Light stalemate through injury, but the Brazilian has returned to training ahead of Sunday’s game and is expected to start for the hosts.
Manuel Ugarte has recovered from a back problem and should be named among the substitutes, with Mason Mount the most likely to lose his place. The Englishman started alongside Kobbie Mainoo in midfield last weekend.
Benjamin Šeško remains a doubt with a nagging shin injury, but Bryan Mbeumo will likely get the nod up top if the Slovenian isn’t fit to start. Joshua Zirkzee was ineffective against the Black Cats.
Diogo Dalot should come back in for Noussair Mazraoui at right back, while Matthijs de Ligt is still sidelined with a long-standing back issue.
Man Utd predicted lineup vs. Nottingham Forest (4-2-3-1): Lammens; Dalot, Maguire, Martínez, Shaw; Casemiro, Mainoo; Amad, Fernandes, Cunha; Mbeumo.
Nottingham Forest Predicted Lineup vs. Man Utd
The visitors have a long injury list, but Pereira is hopeful that three key players will be back in action this weekend.
Most notably, Morgan Gibbs-White has returned to training after suffering a nasty head injury in the 3–1 victory over Chelsea earlier this month. Forest’s captain and talisman fatefully missed the second leg of their Europa League semifinal against Aston Villa, but could feature in their final two outings of the season.
Dan Ndoye is also in contention, while Ibrahim Sangaré could start if he trained as expected on Friday.
Callum Hudson-Odoi is done for the season, and Pereira has confirmed the continued absences of maverick center back Murillo and Ola Aina.
What Time Does Man Utd vs. Nottingham Forest Kick Off?
- Location: Manchester, England
- Stadium: Old Trafford
- Date: Sunday, May 17
- Kick-off Time: 12:30 p.m. BST / 7:30 a.m. ET / 4:30 a.m. PT
- Referee: Michael Salisbury
- VAR: Matthew Donohue
How to Watch Man Utd vs. Nottingham Forest on TV, Live Stream
| Country | TV Channel/Live Stream |
|---|---|
| United States | USA Network, Telemundo, Telemundo Deportes En Vivo |
| United Kingdom | Sky Go UK, SKY GO Extra, Sky Ultra HD, Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Premier League |
| Canada | DAZN Canada, fuboTV Canada, Fubo Sports Network Canada |
| Mexico | FOX One |
READ THE LATEST PREMIER LEAGUE NEWS, TRANSFER RUMORS AND MATCH REACTION
- Transfer Rumors: Real Madrid Plot Rashford Move; PSG Respond to Liverpool’s Barcola Interest
- Mohamed Salah Intensifies Arne Slot Feud With Ruthless Liverpool Takedown
- Arsenal XI vs. Burnley: Arteta Forced Into Changes—Injury News, Predicted Lineup
- Chelsea Strike ‘Total Agreement’ With Xabi Alonso to Revive Floundering Blues
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Man Utd vs. Nottingham Forest: Preview, Predictions and Lineups.
