Paul Merson is pessimistic about Manchester United’s chances of getting a result against Liverpool this weekend.

Writing in his column for Sportskeeda, Merson said that the Red Devils can only avoid a defeat if goalkeeper Andre Onana performs out of his skin:

“I just can’t see United getting anything from this game. I also think it’s inappropriate for Amorim to be saying they are close to a relegation battle.”

“He needs to adapt quickly to the Premier League. Unless Andre Onana has an absolute blinder, Manchester United have no chance in this game. They follow this game up with Arsenal in the FA Cup and I expect them to lose that as well!”

What score has Merson predicted?

The Sky Sports pundit has gone with a 3-0 win to Liverpool, which is not a scoreline that will surprise many United supporters, considering their form recently.

Ruben Amorim’s side were extremely poor against Newcastle on Monday evening, especially in the first half hour. If they are to get a result at Anfield, they will have to improve massively on that performance.

Liverpool v Manchester United team news

The Red Devils are likely to be without three players for the derby on Sunday. Mason Mount is not expected to be back until March at the very earliest, while both Victor Lindelof and Luke Shaw are also still out of contention. However, captain Bruno Fernandes and Manuel Ugarte will be available, having served their respective one-match suspensions versus Newcastle.

Liverpool, meanwhile, could have up to three absentees. Joe Gomez (hamstring) has joined the likes of Ibrahima Konate (knee) and Conor Bradley (hamstring) on the sidelines. Dominik Szoboszlai will return, having served his one-match ban versus West Ham for picking up 5 bookings.

Find out who is in Manchester United’s first-team squad for the 2024/2025 season here