Five talking points ahead of Manchester United V PSV

25 November 2015 14:35

Manchester United host PSV in the Champions League on Wednesday.

Here, Press Association Sport's Paul Hirst looks at five talking points ahead of the match.

What do United need to do to progress?

Win. It is as simple as that. Despite losing to PSV in the opening fixture, United are top of Group B with two matches to go - one point ahead of PSV and Wolfsburg. Victory means United will qualify with one match to go. If United lose on Wednesday and Wolfsburg beat CSKA, Van Gaal's team will have to beat the Germans at the Volkswagen Arena in their final game to qualify for the knockout stages.

Will Wayne Rooney start?

Louis van Gaal will only restore Rooney's "privileges" - ie. a guaranteed first-team place - if the striker convinces his manager he is fully fit. Rooney missed the 2-1 win over Watford because of illness and the captain made sure he did not feel the chill on a wet Tuesday morning at Carrington, wearing leggings, gloves and a snood during United's training session. With Memphis Depay having returned to form up front at Watford on Saturday, and Anthony Martial also fit following a foot injury, Van Gaal is under no pressure to start Rooney, but he is a big fan of the 30-year-old and rarely passes on an opportunity to play him regardless of form.

Can Depay finally hit form?

United fans thought they had bagged a star when the club pipped Paris St Germain to the £25million signing of Memphis Depay from PSV in the summer, but he has so far failed to live up to expectations. The 21-year-old has looked nothing like the player who topped the Eredivisie scoring charts with 22 league goals last term. He took his goal well in the 2-1 win at Watford, however, and his best performance for United came against his old club in the reverse fixture, so the Dutchman has a prime opportunity to get another good performance under his belt on Wednesday.

How will United fans react to Hector Moreno?

Moreno's tackle, in the 24th minute of PSV's 2-1 win over United two months ago, brought Luke Shaw's season to a painful and abrupt halt. The Mexican slid in on Shaw from behind with both feet and broke the England defender's right leg in two places. Van Gaal, who used to manage Moreno at AZ, urged his players not to target the Mexican on Wednesday, but there seems little doubt the player will get booed by the United faithful even though he visited Shaw in hospital two days after the match.

Can United turn on the charm?

United are one win away from the last 16 of the Champions League and one point off the top of the Barclays Premier League table, yet doubts persist about the direction Van Gaal is taking the team. There were flashes of attractive play in the 2-1 win at Watford on Saturday, but still there is a feeling that United need to start blowing teams away to prove they are a top-class outfit. A comprehensive win over Eredivisie holders PSV, who are now third in their domestic league, would help silence a few of Van Gaal's doubters.

Source: PA-WIRE