Sunderland vs Manchester United Lineups May 2026 – An interesting Premier League Matchweek 36 fixture will see Sunderland face Manchester United in a match that remains highly prestigious even though The Red Devils have already secured qualification for next season’s Champions League.

On the other hand, Sunderland are still attempting to keep their slim hopes alive of breaking into the European competition places.

The match is scheduled to take place at Stadium of Light on Saturday, 09 May 2026 at 03.00 PM local time.

Manchester United are pursuing their ninth Premier League double victory over Sunderland after previously winning 2-0 in the first meeting at Old Trafford seven months ago.

Before this match begins, let us take a look at Mansion Sports’ prediction for the Sunderland vs Manchester United lineups for May 2026 below!

Team Conditions Ahead of the Match

Sunderland

Since defeating Tottenham 1-0 at home on 12 April, Sunderland have failed to win their last three Premier League matches and their hopes of qualifying for European competition are beginning to fade.

Eight days after suffering a humiliating 5-0 home defeat to Nottingham Forest, The Black Cats could only manage a 1-1 draw against bottom-placed Wolves at Molineux last weekend.

That match was also marked by a controversial red card for Daniel Ballard in the first half after he was judged to have pulled an opponent’s hair, a decision which is currently under appeal.

Sunderland currently sit in 12th place in the standings and trail the top seven by four points with only three matches remaining.

Head coach Regis Le Bris hopes his team can still feel proud at the end of the season after performing beyond expectations and never truly being threatened by relegation.

The match against Manchester United presents a major challenge for Sunderland, who have only won three of their 33 Premier League meetings against The Red Devils.

Their total of 24 defeats against United is also the highest number of losses they have suffered against a single team in this competition.

The Black Cats, who have lost four of their last five home matches, have also failed to win any of their last 28 top-flight matches against teams starting the day in the top four of the table (9 draws, 19 losses), since a 2-1 victory over Chelsea in April 2014 under Gus Poyet.

Manchester United

After enduring a challenging 2025/2026 season without European football, Manchester United have officially secured their return to the Champions League next season after defeating rivals Liverpool 3-2 at Old Trafford last weekend, thanks to a late winning goal from academy graduate Kobbie Mainoo.

Last season, The Red Devils finished only 15th under Ruben Amorim. However, if they defeat Sunderland this weekend and Liverpool fail to beat Chelsea, then Michael Carrick’s side will officially secure third place with two matches remaining.

No Premier League team has collected more points than Manchester United since Carrick arrived in mid-January, accumulating a total of 32 points.

In addition, the 20-time English champions have also recorded more league victories (10) under Carrick than in their first 20 league matches this season under Amorim (8 wins, 7 draws, 5 losses).

Carrick has also received strong backing from several Manchester United players to be appointed as permanent manager. He revealed this week that he hopes the club will announce a decision regarding his future before the end of the month.

Meanwhile, Manchester United are targeting a fourth consecutive Premier League victory while also improving their away record at Stadium of Light, where they have lost only once in their last 15 top-flight visits (10 wins, 4 draws).

Sunderland vs Manchester United Lineups May 2026

Sunderland (4-2-3-1)

For the home squad condition, Sunderland defender Daniel Ballard will begin serving a three-match suspension.

Romaine Mundle remains absent due to a hamstring injury, but Nilson Angulo and Bertrand Traore have both returned to training this week after lengthy absences and could be included in the matchday squad.

Luke O’Nien or Lutsharel Geertruida are expected to replace Ballard and partner Omar Alderete in central defense. Nordi Mukiele is also an option at center-back if he is not deployed at right-back.

Granit Xhaka is recorded as the player who has scored the most goals from outside the penalty area against Manchester United, with three goals.

The Sunderland captain is predicted to partner Noah Sadiki and Habib Diarra in midfield, with the latter expected to return to the starting XI.

Manchester United (4-2-3-1)

Meanwhile, from the Manchester United camp, Matthijs de Ligt remains unavailable due to a back injury. Benjamin Sesko is also doubtful because of a shin problem sustained against Liverpool, which forced him off at halftime.

Michael Carrick did not provide a specific update regarding Sesko’s condition during the pre-match press conference.

However, Lisandro Martinez is available again after serving a three-match suspension and is predicted to replace Ayden Heaven at center-back. Luke Shaw is likely to remain the starter at left-back despite Patrick Dorgu having recovered.

Bruno Fernandes needs just one more assist to equal the all-time record of 20 assists in a single Premier League season.

The Portuguese playmaker is predicted to continue in the central attacking midfield role, while Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo, and former Sunderland loanee Amad Diallo compete for places on the wings.

This match remains worth anticipating because although Manchester United have already secured Champions League qualification, they are still chasing the best possible finishing position in the final standings.

Meanwhile, Sunderland will certainly want to end the season with a positive result in front of their home supporters. Therefore, it will be interesting to see how the Sunderland vs Manchester United lineups for May 2026 look at kickoff.