Setting the scene: United will be looking to immediately respond after Sunday’s 1-0 defeat at home to relegation-threatened West Bromwich Albion when making the midweek trip to the south coast to take on mid-table Bournemouth. The Reds still need five more points to guarantee Champions League football next season and will be hoping to take full advantage of the game in hand on third-placed Liverpool, who are one point behind United, in a bid to finish second in the Premier League. Jose Mourinho’s men, who had won five league games in a row before the surprise loss to the Baggies, can take a giant stride towards clinching the runners-up spot with three points at the Vitality Stadium, with four subsequent league games to play.
Match preview: Bournemouth v United
