Manchester United welcome Brentford to Old Trafford on Monday night as they aim to take another step towards Champions League qualification

07:00, 27 Apr 2026

Manchester United return to Premier League action on Monday night as they welcome Brentford to Old Trafford. United will be boosted by the return of Harry Maguire to their squad with the defender back after serving a two-match suspension. Lisandro Martinez will serve the second game of his three-match ban tonight after being sent off against Leeds.

Michael Carrick was hopeful of having Leny Yoro back to take on Brentford. The France international missed training last week with a minor niggle. Patrick Dorgu is making good progress but will not be fit for the game while Matthijs de Ligt has just returned to individual training.

Matheus Cunha also missed training on Thursday due to a recovery day. There is no suggestion he will be unavailable tonight. MEN Sport has asked our United writers for their preferred teams for this evening.

Tyrone Marshall

Carrick seemed unsure if Yoro would be fit for this game. Either way, I don’t think you need to risk him. Ayden Heaven was excellent against Chelsea and with Maguire back from suspension those two can play, with Diogo Dalot and Luke Shaw at full-back.

The midfield picks itself at the moment. Casemiro and Kobbie Mainoo is an excellent partnership and Mainoo will want to relish every minute he gets to play next to the five-time Champions League winner. Bruno Fernandes will be looking for another assist as the No. 10.

Benjamin Sesko has started the last couple and he did score against these opponents earlier in the season. I was tempted to change it up, but I’ll stick with the Slovenian leading the line, with Bryan Mbeumo and Cunha out wide.

Steven Railston

Heaven and Maguire will start together for the first time in a back four, but that is not a concern given Heaven’s strong performance at Stamford Bridge. The young defender should look even better alongside the experienced Maguire.

I would make no other changes to the starting XI. The midfield picks itself and Amad seems a tad out of form, which means an attack of Mbeumo, Sesko and Cunha is the best choice to take on Brentford.

Sesko scored his first United goal against Brentford at the Gtech Community Stadium in September. The striker enjoyed a purple patch at the start of 2026, but he has not found the net in three games and would love a goal tonight.

Jack Flintham

United’s makeshift defence at Chelsea last week served them well but I would be tempted to make a change. Heaven impressed at centre-back and deserves to keep his place while Yoro returns to full fitness.

Maguire’s return is timely and starting him alongside Heaven seems a good option. Noussair Mazraoui may be unlucky to miss out but Dalot was impressive at Stamford Bridge.

Otherwise, it makes sense to stick with the same team. Mbeumo and Cunha were both impressive against Chelsea while Sesko continues to strengthen with every game.

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IPL 2026 witnessed its first Super Over on Sunday. Lucknow Super Giants pacer Mohammed Shami’s last-ball six against Kolkata Knight Riders ensured the match entered the Super Over after the scores were tied at 155 apiece. Quite surprisingly, Nicholas Pooran and Aiden Markram came out to bat against KKR veteran Sunil Narine. Pooran has been in awful form in IPL 2026, with scores of 8, 1, 13, 19, 1, 9 and 22 before Sunday’s clash. He was dismissed for 9 in regulation time, and yet LSG sent him out to take on the wily Sunil Narine in the Super Over. Pooran was bowled on the very first delivery, and KKR made full use of the momentum swing.

On the third ball of the Super Over, Markram was dismissed as well, leaving KKR with a target of just two runs. Rinku Singh then hit a four off the first ball to seal a memorable win for his team. South African pace great Dale Steyn was furious with LSG for not opting for other in-form batters and send Pooran.

“It was a criminal decision to send Nicholas Pooran in the Super Over. It could have gone either way for them, but at this stage of the tournament, you want to win. I don’t think you should send a batter who hasn’t scored runs the entire season. You send the batter who has been hitting the ball out of the ground, and you trust them to do that. You back them. I don’t think Nicholas Pooran himself believes he can do it with the kind of form he’s in,” Steyn said on Star Sports.

“It’s unfortunate because he is such a wonderful player. But when you want to get your season back up and running – when you want to resurrect your season – you don’t make blunders like that, not at this level,” he added.

Both the Super Giants and the Knight Riders finished on 155 after a total of 40 overs were bowled. It was Rinku Singh’s well-paced 83 not out off 51 balls that proved to be the catalyst for KKR’s total of 155 for 7 earlier.

Once LSG restricted KKR to that modest total, courtesy Mohsin Khan’s five-wicket haul, they had an excellent opportunity to register a rare home victory.

However, the hosts stumbled against a disciplined Kolkata bowling attack on a slow black-soil pitch.

The result pushed KKR to eighth on the points table with five points, while LSG slumped to the bottom with four points.

The Super Giants boast several big names in their squad – skipper Rishabh Pant, Markram, Mitchell Marsh and Pooran – but none of them were able to provide direction or shape to LSG’s chase.

Pant (42) and Markram (31) looked in good touch as they added 57 runs for the second wicket after the early departure of Marsh. However, Markram fell to Cameron Green‘s pace-off delivery, while Pant’s attempted reverse scoop off Narine resulted in a catch to wicketkeeper Tim Seifert.

This left LSG’s fate in the hands of young domestic players Ayush Badoni, Himmat Singh and Mukul Choudhary. They brought the equation down to 17 off the final over with a mix of luck and determination. Two successive no-balls from Kartik Tyagi further reduced the target to 12 off five deliveries.

Despite bowling two waist-high no-balls, Tyagi was allowed to continue after the second was deemed non-dangerous by the officials. He dismissed Himmat Singh, leaving LSG needing eight off the final three balls, but Mohammed Shami’s last-ball six forced the season’s first Super Over.

With PTI inputs

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Super Eagles striker Victor Osimhen was on target as Galatasaray claimed a convincing 3-0 win over fierce rivals Fenerbahçe in the Istanbul derby.

Osimhen returned to action after several weeks out with an arm injury and played a key role in the important victory at Rams Park. The Nigerian forward looked sharp from the start, constantly troubling the Fenerbahçe defence with his movement and energy.

The visitors almost took the lead in the 14th minute after being awarded a penalty when Davinson Sánchez was judged to have fouled Sidiki Cherif in the box. However, Anderson Talisca missed the spot-kick, giving Galatasaray a big escape.

Osimhen kept pushing and was unlucky not to win a penalty in the 38th minute after going down under a challenge, but the referee waved play on after a VAR check.

The breakthrough came two minutes later when Mario Lemina flicked on a cross into the box. Osimhen reacted quickly, controlling the ball in an unusual way before guiding it into the net to give Galatasaray the lead.

Galatasaray stayed on top after the break and thought they had doubled their advantage through Lucas Torreira, but the goal was ruled out for offside.

The second goal eventually came in the 67th minute after Yunus Akgün was fouled in the box. Fenerbahçe were reduced to 10 men when goalkeeper Ederson was sent off. Barış Alper Yılmaz stepped up to take the penalty and calmly made it 2-0.

Torreira sealed the win in the 83rd minute after taking advantage of a defensive error to score the third goal. Osimhen was later booked after a brief clash with an opponent, but it did little to affect the outcome.

The victory puts Galatasaray in a strong position to win the Süper Lig title. They now hold a seven-point lead at the top of the table with only three matches left to play.

A single win from their remaining games will be enough to confirm them as champions, which would see Osimhen win back-to-back league titles with the club and add another major trophy to his career.

The Philadelphia Eagles have selected Nigeria’s Uar Bernard in the 2026 NFL Draft, marking a major milestone for African players in American football.

The Abuja-born player was picked 251st overall in the seventh round on Saturday night in Pittsburgh. The 21-year-old was present to witness the moment.

Bernard becomes the first Nigerian to be drafted into the National Football League and also the first African to reach the league through the International Player Pathway Program.

A defensive tackle, Bernard’s path into the sport is unusual. He was a basketball player and had never played American football before joining the programme.

His journey began after attending the 2024 NFL Nigeria camp organised by Osi Umenyiora, a two-time Super Bowl winner. He later impressed at the 2025 NFL Africa camp in Cairo and was selected for the 2026 IPP class. He then completed a 10-week training programme in Florida, which helped him earn a place in the draft.

Born in 2005, Bernard grew up in Unguwa Uku in northern Nigeria before moving to Benue State. After losing his father at 16, he worked part-time as a personal trainer to support his family. He speaks four languages and admired stars like Ronaldinho, Hakeem Olajuwon and Michael Jordan while growing up.

Despite having no proper training facilities, Bernard watched videos online to learn techniques and used tree trunks to practise against imaginary opponents.

At his Pro Day, he posted impressive results, including a 4.63-second 40-yard dash, a 39-inch vertical jump and a 10ft 10in broad jump—strong numbers for his position.

The Eagles continue their interest in IPP players, following the success of Jordan Mailata, who also joined as a seventh-round pick.

Speaking after his selection, Bernard said it was a dream come true.

“I’ve worked hard for this. I believe I will keep improving every day,” he said, while thanking God for the opportunity.

Eagles general manager Howie Roseman said the club is ready to be patient with his development.

“He has great physical tools, but it will take time. We are willing to give him that time,” Roseman said.

Bernard is expected to begin his NFL journey with rookie and training camps in May, with a chance to feature in pre-season games in August.

Diego Pavia, the polarizing former Vanderbilt quarterback who was runner-up in Heisman voting last season, has reportedly found a home in the NFL after going undrafted this weekend.

Pavia accepted an invitation to the Baltimore Ravens’ rookie minicamp on a tryout basis, per multiple reports. He doesn’t have a spot on the roster yet, but it’s a start as he looks to crack into the NFL with Baltimore.

Of course, Lamar Jackson, the two-time MVP quarterback, is cemented as the team’s starting quarterback, but perhaps Pavia can stand out enough in rookie minicamp to earn an invitation to training camp this summer.

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Vanderbilt Commodores quarterback Diego Pavia throws a pass against the Iowa Hawkeyes in the first quarter during the ReliaQuest Bowl at Raymond James Stadium on Dec. 31, 2025. (Nathan Ray Seebeck/Imagn Images)

Pavia was not expecting to be undrafted this weekend, but he became the first Heisman Trophy finalist since 2014 to not hear his name called through the seven rounds in Pittsburgh.

Pavia won the SEC Offensive Player of the Year and the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm award for best upperclassman quarterback after throwing for 3,539 passing yards and 29 touchdowns, both of which single-season school records, to give the Commodores its first-ever 10-win season.

Vanderbilt just missed out on the College Football Playoff after finishing 10-3.

POLARIZING COLLEGE FOOTBALL STAR, HEISMAN TROPHY FINALIST GOES UNDRAFTED

Pavia ultimately finished second in Heisman voting to Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza – the No. 1 overall pick in this year’s draft by the Las Vegas Raiders. So, what ultimately led to Pavia not getting drafted?

While his personality may have factored in, Pavia’s official height at the NFL Scouting Combine turned some heads. Vanderbilt had him listed at 6-foot, but he was measured at 5-foot-9 7/8, which would make him the shortest quarterback in the NFL if he were to step foot on the gridiron today. The average height is 6-foot-2 for an NFL quarterback.

However, those shorter than the average have seen success, including Minnesota Vikings newest member, Kyler Murray, who went first overall to the Arizona Cardinals in 2019 coming out of Oklahoma. He’s listed at 5-foot-10.

Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia celebrates after the team’s win against Kentucky at FirstBank Stadium in Nashville, Tenn., on Nov. 22, 2025. (Mark Zaleski/The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)

Pavia barked back at critics during the Senior Bowl in January regarding his height.

“Yeah, my size has been doubted my whole life,” he said at the time, via AL.com. “I feel like the only thing the NFL cares about is can you win, and I view myself as a winner. I’ve been fortunate with all these great teams that I’ve had — we’ve never had a losing season. So that’s something to look forward to, I hope, for the rest of my career, that’s how it’s going to be.

“I feel like God has blessed me in so many ways to be a connector, and I feel like that’s one of my superpowers that I’ve got — I can connect. We unite, and then once you unite, you want to play for one another, and once you give 120% effort, there’s no one that can stop your team.”

Pavia’s personality, viewed by some as more cocky than confident, may have played a factor as well. After finishing runner-up to Mendoza in Heisman voting, Pavia was spotted at a New York City nightclub next to a sign that read, “F— Indiana.” Then, he posted on social media a photo with friends and a caption that read, “F— ALL THE VOTERS, BUT…FAMILY FOR LIFE.”

Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia throws a football during the NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Ind., on Feb. 28, 2026. (Kirby Lee/Imagn Images)

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Pavia later apologized for his decision to post that on his socials.

No matter the case, Pavia has a shot now with the Ravens and new head coach Jesse Minter, as he aims to show enough to join the quarterbacks group in training camp. Other than Jackson, the Ravens have Tyler “Snoop” Huntley on the roster to start the season.    

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You have to hand it to the NFL for making three days of reading names off cards into the second-biggest event on the league calendar.

A record 805,000 fans visited the three-day event in Pittsburgh, with a single-day attendance record of 320,000 for Thursday’s first round.

Only the Super Bowl is bigger, and even then that’s only of serious interest to two teams, but all 32 are involved in the draft for one simple reason – hope.

The worst teams get the best picks of the college superstars and that gives them hope of a magical turnaround – and the NFL has managed to market it all as a must-see experience.

Detroit hosted 775,000 fans in 2024, Green Bay had 600,000 last year, and both were topped by Pittsburgh.

Washington DC will hope for even more next year and commissioner Roger Goodell revealed cities were lining up to win hosting duties in years to come – with representatives from 10 on scouting trips in Pittsburgh this weekend.

The NFL Draft looks set to get even bigger.

Former Manchester United forward Jesse Lingard speaks to BBC News correspondent Ione Wells about playing for Brazilian club Corinthians, and why he’s backing Michael Carrick to get the manager’s job at the Red Devils.

READ MORE: Making history and facing Neymar

Manchester United welcome Brentford to Old Trafford on Monday night with Michael Carrick’s side seeking to move one step closer to securing Champions League football

Manchester United return to Premier League action tonight with another Monday night fixture. Brentford are the visitors to Old Trafford with both sides chasing European football next season.

For United, a spot in the coveted Champions League is within reach with six points from their final five fixtures enough to guarantee a top five finish. Beating Brentford would help on that front and it would also mean the Bees would no longer be one of the teams able to chase Michael Carrick’s side down.

United won a crucial clash at Chelsea last time out and it’s difficult to see too many alterations from that side. One change that surely will be made is the return of Harry Maguire after suspension.

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The experienced centre back can return to the defence and Noussair Mazraoui could be the unlucky man to miss out. He was used as a makeshift centre half at Stamford Bridge alongside Ayden Heaven but retaining the youngster in his natural position makes the most sense. Mazraouri could shift to right back but Diogo Dalot did little wrong at Chelsea and can keep his place with Luke Shaw on the opposite side. Senne Lammnes is the clear first choice in goal.

The midfield picks itself with Caemiro and Kobbie Mainoo a burgeoning partnership and Bruno Fernandes the talisman behind the front three. Further forward, Benjamin Sesko, Bryan Mbuemo and Matheus Cunha could continue as the attacking trio. Amad will hope to force his way back into the starting XI soon but he’s not done enough in recent outings to win his place back.

United predicted XI vs Brentford: Lammens, Dalot, Heaven, Maguire, Shaw; Casemiro, Mainoo, Fernandes; Mbeumo, Cunha, Sesko

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There is something about the Women’s Champions League at this time of year that kicks Arsenal into life. Trailing a physical Lyon side 1-0 in the first leg of the semi-finals at the Emirates on Sunday, it was as if they remembered it. It wasn’t always convincing, but that is not always Arsenal’s style, either. Turning the tie around, though, and in such commanding style, illustrated a mentality and an ability to solve problems on the pitch that has brought the defending champions to the brink of a second Champions League final in a row.

Avoid defeat in France next week and Arsenal will be heading to Oslo to either face Barcelona, in a rematch of last year’s final, or Bayern Munich. The semi-finals last season were a reminder of how quickly things can change – Arsenal had lost 2-1 to Lyon here at this stage last campaign, only to advance thanks to a 4-1 victory away from home – but under Renee Slegers this team exudes the belief of a side who know they can get it done. “You saw a team on a mission,” said the fit-again Leah Williamson.

They did not panic after falling behind to Lyon after 19 minutes, as Jule Brand stepped past Kim Little and fired the visitors in front. Arsenal responded with a dominant performance, even if their goals were gifted by Lyon mistakes. Mariona Caldeney and Olivia Smith profited from two defensive errors, both involving the experienced goalkeeper Christiane Endler. Apart from a Kadiatou Diani shot that crashed against the underside of the bar at 1-1, Lyon offered very little and Arsenal could regret not finishing off their opponents.

It could have been worse for the visitors when Wendie Renard caused Little to crash into the ground in the box and the referee Desiree Blanco pointed to the spot. The VAR found the Lyon captain got the slightest touch on the ball, which felt generous. Instead, Lyon repaid Arsenal through other means. First, Caldentey’s low free-kick from wide snuck past Endler after Stina Blackstenius made the run across the goalkeeper and perhaps unsighted her. Then, a loose back pass from Lindsey Heaps led to Endler and Ingrid Syrstad Engen crashing together. Smith finished into an empty net. Neither moment was pretty but Arsenal did not care.

It is a mystery what happened to Lyon after taking the lead. The French side had started by taking control of midfield. They looked imposing, bigger in height than Arsenal across the pitch, and were sharper to the loose balls. “They are the most physical team we have played against,” Slegers said. The United States international Lily Yohannes, at 18, appeared as if she could stroll away from Little and Caldentey and was beginning to shape the semi-final. The German winger Brand also looked a step ahead, as she eased away from Little to score Lyon’s opening goal. The silence was broken by a ripple from the small pocket of Lyon supporters among the crowd of 26,758.

It is in keeping with Arsenal’s past couple of seasons, however, that a slow start was overcome. They have done it across campaigns and two-legged ties in the Champions League. They are reliably inconsistent – being knocked out of the FA Cup by Brighton, following their Champions League quarter-final victory against Chelsea last month, is a microcosm of their ups and downs. Before that second-leg defeat at Stamford Bridge, where they progressed anyway, and the loss against Brighton, they were 11 games unbeaten. There is resilience to respond to their occasional fragility.

Perhaps that explains how Arsenal were able to react so convincingly. Overall, they had 16 shots to Lyon’s six and had twice as many touches in the opposition box. Lyon’s approach was to be embrace the duels, but once Little and Caldentey started to knock the ball around and interchange passes in midfield there were large spells where Lyon could not get close to them and Arsenal became relentless. “We got more pressure on the ball and we got more clarity on how we wanted to press. We did that with conviction in the second half,” Slegers said.

Slegers reminded everyone that the tie is only at half-time. The Dutch coach already made her impact at the break, if not before. Lyon’s press and physicality made Arsenal uncomfortable at first, but it was a puzzle they were able to figure out. “There was some problem-solving and that continued at half-time,” Slegers said. “You want the plan to be good from the start but the intelligence we have in the squad, the players seeing it, feeling it, it’s really good.” If Arsenal can match Lyon’s response in the second leg, and Slegers warned it could be another physical “battle” in France, then they will be back in the Champions League final.