PREM: Newcastle United v Manchester United preview

Newcastle United v Manchester United preview

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will look to emulate Sir Matt Busby by winning his opening four games as Manchester United manager away at Newcastle on Wednesday.

Solskjaer has impressively seen off Cardiff, Huddersfield and Bournemouth and will become only the second manager in United's history to win his first four league matches, after Busby in 1946, with a victory a St. James' Park.

Newcastle arguably pose the greatest challenge of Solskjaer's tenure to date, with the visitors without a win on Tyneside since August 2015.

Furthermore, Rafael Benitez has won each of his last four home games in charge of English clubs against Manchester United in all competitions, twice with Liverpool, once with Chelsea and also with the Magpies last season.

Newcastle defender Federico Fernandez is a doubt for the clash with rejuvenated Manchester United.

The Argentinian limped out Saturday's 1-1 draw at Watford at half-time with a hip injury and will be assessed, while potential replacement Ciaran Clark continues to battle an ankle problem which has kept him out of the last three games.

Midfielder Jonjo Shelvey returned from a thigh injury as a substitute at Vicarage Road and will hope for a first start since November 2 in the absence of Ki Sung-yueng, who is on international duty with South Korea.

Florian Lejeune has been pencilled in for his return from a knee ligament injury in Saturday's FA Cup third-round clash with Blackburn.

Marcus Rashford is a doubt for the trip to St. James' Park after picking up a groin injury in the win against Bournemouth.

Solskjaer will be without Eric Bailly after he was shown a straight red card for a lunge on Bournemouth's Ryan Fraser.

Alexis Sanchez is expected to feature after shaking off a hamstring injury, but Scott McTominay, Marcos Rojo and Chris Smalling are out.