PREVIEW: CSKA MOSCOW V MANCHESTER UNITED
Setting the scene... United got the 2017/18 Champions League campaign off to the best possible start against FC Basel a fortnight ago with a comfortable 3-0 win at Old Trafford. Since then, the Reds have stretched the winning run to four in all competitions by claiming victories over Everton and Southampton in the Premier League, as well as thumping Burton Albion 4-1 to reach the last 16 of the Carabao Cup. However, it won't be easy at the VEB Arena against a CSKA Moscow side who currently sit second in Group A after beating Benfica 2-1 in Lisbon.
How can I watch it? The game kicks off at 19:45 BST on Wednesday and will be broadcast live on BT Sport in the UK. Subscribers of MUTV on Sky or Virgin Media, the club's MUTV app or online at mutv.com will be able to watch build-up from 17:45 BST on the Match Day show and listen to radio commentary of the game before watching it in full from midnight. You can also keep up with all the action as it happens via ManUtd.com's live match blog and by following our official Twitter account @ManUtd.
Any team news for me? Eric Bailly and Phil Jones are both available for selection again after serving their respective European bans against Basel. However, Paul Pogba is still likely to be absent with a hamstring problem, while Marcos Rojo and Zlatan Ibrahimovic are still ruled out with long-term injuries. CSKA's reliable right-back Mario Fernandes is expected to play no part on Wednesday night after leaving the pitch in Saturday's draw against Dinamo Moscow with concussion, and attacking midfielder Aleksandr Makarov will miss the game with an ankle problem.
How have CSKA started the season? After finishing as runners-up to Spartak Moscow last term, CSKA currently sit fourth in the Russian Premier Liga, having gained 20 points from their opening 11 fixtures. They go into this tie on the back of a goalless draw with Dinamo and further evidence of a mixed start to the domestic campaign was their Russian Cup exit at the hands of Avangard Kursk. Victor Goncharenko's side seem to have saved their best efforts for Europe. CSKA cruised past AEK Athens and BSC Young Boys in the Champions League qualifying rounds without conceding a goal, before claiming that potentially crucial away win over Benfica in their first group game.
Have we played them before? United boast an unbeaten record against the Moscow club, having won two of the four meetings with the other two matches ending all square. Most recently, in the 2015/16 Champions League campaign, the Reds drew 1-1 in Russia, while a Wayne Rooney strike was enough to hand his side a 1-0 win at Old Trafford. In the 2009/10 season, United came away from Russia with a 1-0 win courtesy of an Antonio Valencia strike, and the Ecuadorian was the hero again in the return fixture as his 90th-minute goal earned the Reds a 3-3 draw in an entertaining game.
What's United's record like against Russian opposition? Pretty solid - the Reds have only lost one of 11 past fixtures, winning three and drawing seven. The two victories over CSKA are mentioned above, and the other win came in last season's Europa League against FC Rostov, as Juan Mata netted in a 1-0 triumph at Old Trafford. Meanwhile, the sole defeat came in the 2008 UEFA Super Cup, as then UEFA Cup holders Zenit St Petersburg beat Sir Alex Ferguson's Champions League conquerors 2-1 in Monaco.
Did you know? After playing away at Southampton last Saturday, the Reds will continue a busy run on the road with five of the next six games being away from home. Jose Mourinho's men got the sequence of matches off to the perfect start on Saturday with a 1-0 win against the Saints, and the boss did not seem concerned when asked about his side's set of away fixtures. "I'm never too worried about [whether] matches are home or away, because the number of matches is going to be the same," he said. "It will be difficult, but it means it will be easier later [in the season]."
Who is the referee? Jonas Eriksson will be the man in the middle in the Russian capital on Wednesday. The 43-year-old, who has been chosen to officiate at the last three major international tournaments, will lead a team of Swedish officials for his second game involving United - the last being the Reds' 3-1 defeat to Bayern Munich in the Champions League quarter-final second leg in 2013/14.
Rivals watch: Elsewhere in Group A, FC Basel host Benfica, with both sides looking for their first Champions League win of the season. Meanwhile, Manchester City welcome Ukrainian outfit Shakhtar Donetsk to the Etihad, Tottenham Hotspur travel to Cyprus to play Apoel Nicosia, Chelsea face a difficult trip to Atletico Madrid, and Liverpool will also travel to Moscow to take on Spartak.
Tuesday 26 September (All 19:45 BST)
Borussia Dortmund v Real Madrid
Sevilla v Maribor
Napoli v Feyenoord
Apoel Nicosia v Tottenham Hotspur
Besiktas v RB Leipzig
Manchester City v Shakhtar Donetsk
Monaco v Porto
Spartak Moscow v Liverpool
Wednesday 27 September (All 19:45 BST unless otherwise stated)
Qarabag FK v Roma (17:00)
FC Basel v Benfica
Anderlecht v Celtic
Juventus v Olympiacos
Paris Saint Germain v Bayern Munich
Atletico Madrid v Chelsea
Sporting Lisbon v Barcelona
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