Sunday’s Manchester derby at the Etihad promises to be decided by fine margins and four individual contests look set to shape the outcome.

Stopping Erling Haaland will be Manchester United’s first priority. Ruben Amorim has had a fortnight to prepare a plan, but the burden may fall on Matthijs de Ligt. De Ligt appears more secure in the middle of United’s three centre backs than in a wider role, with Leny Yoro and Luke Shaw offering protection. The Dutchman has the physicality and speed to compete with City’s No.9, but Haaland demands unwavering concentration from first kick to last. Haaland carries an excellent record versus United, with six goals and three assists in eight appearances, and he arrives in devastating form after scoring six goals over the international break and already having three in the league.

The injury Omar Marmoush suffered on international duty has opened the door for Jérémy Doku to make a rare Premier League start. Doku’s pace and directness present a real test down City’s left against a United defence that has not kept a clean sheet this term. Noussair Mazraoui is likely to start at right wing back given Diogo Dalot’s injury and Amad Diallo’s attacking mindset. Mazraoui will need to be disciplined and relentless in his pressure to limit Doku’s impact.

Bruno Fernandes is expected to operate in a more advanced role with Matheus Cunha absent through injury, and United’s attacking play will flow through their skipper. Fernandes has created 12 chances in three Premier League games. Rodri, who made his first league start in almost a year against Brighton & Hove Albion before the international break, will be tasked with smothering Fernandes and Bryan Mbeumo when they drop between the lines. The Ballon d’Or winner’s control of midfield could determine which side controls the final third.

Benjamin Šeško is set to make his first Premier League start after injuries to Cunha and Mason Mount. He will face Rúben Dias, likely partnered by Nathan Aké. Dias’s composure and leadership are vital for a City defence that has looked exposed early in the season, and his handling of Šeško will be key.

Pep Guardiola and Ruben Amorim occupy contrasting points on the managerial timeline but have already met in high-profile fixtures that define a growing rivalry.

Amorim began his rise at Sporting CP before being appointed the Manchester United head coach. Their first notable encounter came in the 2021–22 Champions League last 16. Manchester City produced a one-sided first leg, taking a four-goal lead by half time thanks to a Bernardo Silva brace and strikes from Riyad Mahrez and Phil Foden. Raheem Sterling added a further goal after the break, leaving City with a five-goal advantage that effectively decided the tie.

The return leg at the Etihad Stadium was a goalless draw. Sporting kept their pride intact, frustrating City on a night of little consequence for the hosts, who progressed to the quarter-final despite failing to find their usual attacking fluency.

The pair met again in the league phase of the 2024–25 Champions League, this time with Sporting delivering a decisive response in Lisbon. Phil Foden gave City an early lead in the fourth minute, Viktor Gyökeres levelled before the interval and then converted two penalties after the restart. Maxi Araújo also scored as Sporting ran out 4-1 winners. The result marked a third successive defeat for Manchester City during a difficult spell and served as a memorable send-off from Amorim to the Sporting supporters shortly before his move to Old Trafford.

A little over a month later Amorim returned to the Etihad as Manchester United head coach. Joško Gvardiol opened the scoring for City in the first half, but United completed a late turnaround: an 88th-minute penalty from Bruno Fernandes and a 90th-minute strike from Amad Diallo secured a dramatic victory for the visitors and gave Amorim a dream Manchester derby debut.

There have not been dozens of meetings between the two men, yet each encounter has produced decisive moments that shape their head-to-head story.

Manchester United face the Manchester City derby this weekend with a string of injury concerns that could shape team selection. United arrived at the international break having secured their first victory of the season courtesy of a last‑gasp winner from Bruno Fernandes against Burnley, but earlier losses to Arsenal and Grimsby Town offered unwelcome reminders of the club’s fragile start.

Lisandro Martínez remains the only confirmed absentee, still sidelined after an ACL tear sustained in February. The Argentine has been on the grass at Carrington as he edges closer to a return, but no official date has been set for his first-team comeback.

Diogo Dalot is the latest concern after withdrawing from the Portugal squad for the September internationals against Armenia and Hungary. The Portuguese football association reported Dalot experienced some “muscle discomfort” during national team training. United’s head coach confirmed in his pre-match press conference that participation in the derby is out of the question for Dalot.

Mason Mount has returned to the treatment room following the narrow win over Burnley. He was withdrawn at half time in the 3–2 victory with an unspecified knock and the head coach said Mount had “played 30 minutes with an injury”. The precise extent of the problem remains unclear, though Mount has made an encouraging start to the season and the club will hope for a swift recovery.

Matheus Cunha was also forced off early in the Burnley game, lasting around half an hour before being substituted with a muscle problem. He subsequently withdrew from Brazil’s World Cup qualifiers against Chile and Bolivia.

Travelling supporters will be watching pre-match updates closely. With Martínez not yet available and Dalot, Mount and Cunha carrying doubts, selection choices for the derby could be heavily influenced by the medical assessments carried out in the days leading up to the fixture.