The Red Devils play West Ham in a tricky away clash at the London Stadium in Saturday’s early kick-off.

United struggled against the better sides in the Premier League away from Old Trafford last season, beating just one of the other teams who finished inside the top ten.

At times thoughtful, at times uninspiring, but not entirely without threat, Man United might be the happier after the first 45 minutes but only by a fingernail.

Both Moyes and Ten Hag will hope their players come out for the second-half entirely reinvigorated. As things stand, neither side deserves a different scoreline.

Ward-Prowse steps up for the righthanded freekick, but the most the Hammers can make from it is soft shot wide of the far post.

Three minutes added time, and Man United have a credible freekick just inside the West Ham half after Paqueta bungles a challenge.

Kudus barges past Mainoo as he looks to get away down the right, and Evans now picks up United’s first card as he trips up the sprinting Ghana international in a bid to stop his run.

Garnacho sprints onto a wide curving pass across the box but skids out of the play as he shoots it into the side netting. Hojlund slip and slides with him, with West Ham grateful that neither attacker can latch onto the attempt.

Things are certainly livelier now, but West Ham will be grateful of the coming break.

Man United are really troubling the home side, until Fernandes goes down on the edge of the box after a close encounter with Emerson’s follow through.

But moments later, the Red Devils come again, with Kudus getting the first card of the tie as he brings down a pacey Shaw on the halfway line.

The former Ajax man is finding it hard to shake the England international.

Paqueta is the next Hammer to make trouble for his keeper, and Garnacho again feasts on the opportunity to play havoc on the left.

Mavropanos loses sight of him, and the Argentine is let down only by his too-airy shot, which lands in the top netting.

Still stuck in their own half, West Ham have a short corner to defend next, which they do ably, but can’t sneak the counter as the visitors look to try again.

And at the other end – Kudus acquits himself as he sprints forward to lose his man and some excellent defending from Evans fields the ball out for a corner at the last minute.

Ward-Prowse again finds a United head, but as the ball springs out the whistle blows and Man United get a freekick after some muddling in the build-up.

Now there’s a little of something! A poor pass from Kudus ends up on a Man United boot, and a running Garnacho sprints into the box as the West Ham defenders look jumbled.

A somewhat rushed shot at close range is dealt with very well indeed by Areola.

Antony looks for a peach of goal as he curls in a long-range shot, but it’s not enough to break a sweat from the Hammers goalkeeper. Feels like an on-the-nose metaphor for things as they stand.

It’s a contemplative affair so far. There’s been some brightness, but little by way of major threat from either team, as if they’re both still testing the waters – but we haven’t got all day.

Shaw sends a tight pass to Garnacho rounding the left of the box, and he sprints in, looking for someone to cross to.

In the end, his shot lands comfortably in the hands of Areola.

Play grinds to halt after Soucek picks up a nasty cut coming off the worse in a challenge for the ball with his leaping team-mate Emerson. Medics tend to him on the pitch in an effort not to swap him out, but the referee sends him to the sielines for some patching up.

Coufal slips a long ball to Kudus down the right but he’s set upon by Shaw, who spins him round before setting up a sharp counter attack that is only shut down with good effort from Mavropanos.

The return from Shaw is an enormous positive for Ten Hag’s side ahead of the second-half of a frankly unpredictable season.

West Ham have their opening corner, and Antony and Bowen have some sharp words before Ward-Prowse sends his effort in.

The ball falls to the first man this time, and is sent shooting away with little to gain from it.

Paqueta skips down the left flank dodging Man United defenders with skill, but there’s no team-mate deep enough, and the Hammers are forced to reset and try and attack from the right.

Kambwala and United’s backline attempt to take some of the Hammers pace out of the game and paddle around the ball at the back. The hosts are buzzing around waiting for a mistake, but Shaw soon gets the opportunity to muscle the ball into West Ham’s half.

Fernandes slides the ball through to Hojlund in the box, but Emerson and Zouma make light work of his attempts to hold onto it until it rolls out for a goal-kick.

Bowen looks to add to his tally this season after picking up a hastily defended ball on the edge of the box.

He scuffs it, and drifts just wide of the post. There’s not too much power the shot either, but it’s clear the forward is keen to take his chances.

Coufal gets caught up in a tangle with Shaw and Garnacho, and has his hand stamped on in the fracas, a clear accident.

McTominay tries to sneak forward from deep on the right, but a full-throated West Ham challenge stops the budding attack in its tracks.

Fernandes sends a neat pass to Garnacho just over the halfway line, and he sprints forward into the box looking for a team-mate to cross to.

A good block from Alvarez sends the ball out for United’s first corner, but they can’t make much from it.

Hojlund looks for a run between two West Ham defenders to pick up a lofted ball, but they smother the attack. They don’t take control, however, and Garnacho has the chance to set up Shaw to the left of the box.

It’s a straightforward catch from Areola, but a brighter spell for the visitors.

Kambwala sends the ball through the field to Antony, who sends an experimental long ball neatly through to the West Ham backline.

The Hammers look marginally the more comfortable side so far, but there’s little between the teams in the early stages.

Evans misjudges the ball out of play for a Hammers throw to a good round of patronising ‘wheys’ before the Hammers surge forward in their first meaningful attack.

Emerson on the edge of the box fires at Onana but only finds the post. Paqueta attempts to mop up the rebound, and United aren’t safe until Ward-Prowse picks up a quick pass from distance and fires into the stands.

Man United look to make an initial foray forward into the attacking third, but West Ham competently take hold of possesion.

Kudus attempts to pick up a sliding pass from Mavropanos just over the halfway line, but is tumbled in action.

Under bright but cloudy skies in east London, it’s the away side that get things rolling as ‘I’m Forever Blowing Bubbles’ ebbs away.

The France youth international was on the bench for United’s 0-0 draw with Liverpool last week but did not feature.

Kambwala joined the club from Sochaux in 2020, and has made six appearances in the UEFA Youth League this season.

Less than 10 minutes to go until we get underway at the London Stadium!

James Ward-Prowse has been a massive addition to our squad and he’s a great lad. The manager said to me months ago he sees Jarrod as a number nine.

He’s sort of softly moved him to that position. You know exactly what you’re going to get. You don’t have to ask him to work hard.

This afternoon’s fixture marks the first time that Ten Hag will be reunited with his former Ajax talent Mohammed Kudus – very much against his wishes.

The Ghanian forward was tracked closely by the Man United manager after an impressive World Cup showing for the Black Stars last year in the January transfer window, and Kudus was dogged by links to the Red Devils throughout the second-half of last season.

Man United’s loss was West Ham’s gain, with bells on – he has been in knife-sharp form for the home side, and will certainly threaten today.

Speaking to TNT Sports, the West Ham manager says that he always knew that Bowen had the potential to become the high-scoring forward he’s been for the Hammers this season.

‘When you looked through his early record, he was always scoring,’ Moyes said.

‘I just felt that there’s a sign that he’s trying to get closer to goal. He’s got a great knack.

‘I think him being able to do dual roles might help him get in the England squad this summer.’

Two changes for West Ham from the side that beat Wolves 3-0 last time out, with Aguerd missing due to injury and Mavropanos stepping up in his stead. Fabianski is swapped out for Areola.

More changes for Man United, including that eye-catching debut. Elsewhere, Dalot is unavailable after his bookings at Anfield, and Amrabat drops to the bench as Wan-Bissaka makes it back into the starting XI.

Erik ten Hag slots Willy Kambwala into the defence in lieu of Raphael Varane, who is missing due to illness.

The French-Congolese 19-year-old joined Man United’s academy in 2020 and has the opportunity to step up today after making the bench for the first time just last week at Anfield.

A huge moment for the centre-back – but he’ll be alongside trusted head Jonny Evans, who is a whopping 14 years older than his defensive partner.

Man United travelled south at the tail-end of last season and were rewarded with a 1-0 defeat that had a number wondering whether the Red Devils might take talismanic midfielder Declan Rice off the home side in revenge…

Joe Cole plays to the gallery with aplomb as he tucks into both the pie, mash, and liquor and the jellied eels. Paul Scholes has possibly never looked more sceptical, but he manages a mouthful to ensure he gets to leave at the final whistle without harassment.

‘Not a chance,’ Scholes says dismissively when Jules Breach asks him if he’s up for trying the latter delicacy. He does however confirm that he likes jelly – without eels.

West Ham manager David Moyes says he hopes Bowen, 27, will stay at the club for the rest of his career, having recently signed a new seven-year contract extension.

Jurgen Klopp‘s admittance that Bowen is one of his ‘favourite’ players outside of Liverpool, whom he scored against in the Carabao Cup in midweek, sparked concerns about him being a future transfer target.

The Hammers have a number of links to the Czech Republic both via their players – Vladimir Coufal and Tomas Soucek – and happy recent history.

Moyes’ side claimed their historic Europa Conference League victory at Slavia Prague’s Eden Arena in the nation’s capital.

David Moyes’ side were able to bounce back from their 5-0 drubbing against Fulham in their last Premier League run-out against Wolves, which saw the home side win 3-0 last weekend, and West Ham will look to do the same today after losing along similar lines to a rampant Liverpool side in their midweek Carabao Cup match.

Motivation will be high – a win will leap the ninth-place club up to sixth ahead of this festive weekend’s ties. But Man United have much to prove after a thoroughly uneven showing in the league this winter, and will be boosted by the return of captain Bruno Fernandes after his suspension for the side’s draw at Anfield.

Hello and welcome to Mail Sport’s live coverage of Manchester United’s trip to West Ham, with Erik ten Hag’s side in search of their first win since their home victory against Chelsea at the start of the month.

Kick-off is at 12.30pm, but we’ll be bringing you all the team news and build-up ahead of getting underway at the London Stadium.