The Manchester United fans in the Transfer Tavern are hoping their side can close the gap on league-leaders Manchester City in the second-half of the season.

The Boxing Day set of fixtures often prove to be some of the most entertaining of the year, and the Red Devils in the Tavern are expecting to see plenty of exciting football from their side later today. Burnley have been in tremendous form this season with Sean Dyche at the helm, and if his side continue in the same vein in 2018 then the club will surely record their highest ever finish in the Premier League table.

Burnley have already defeated Chelsea and drawn with Tottenham and Liverpool on the road this season – a set of results which proves they are a formidable opponent who command respect in their current form.

Jose Mourinho will be fully aware of Burnley’s potential to cause an upset at Old Trafford in their festive fixture, but he will be expecting nothing less than a win from his side in front of their expectant home supporters.

However, Burnley have never recorded a victory at Old Trafford, so the players in claret and blue will be eager to write themselves into the history books and give their supporters a late Christmas present to cherish.

There can be no room for complacency amongst the United squad with Burnley in such impressive form, and Mourinho will need to select his strongest available starting line-up to ensure they get the better of The Clarets.

With that being said, here are two players Mourinho must play from the outset to guarantee three points against Burnley.

Juan Mata

Mata has been in excellent form throughout the month of December and used his creative qualities to provide opportunities for his teammates.

If there’s one thing United can expect from Burnley, then it’s a solid defensive shape which will be difficult to break down.

But with Mata in the starting line-up, United will have a player who can carve open the opposition and find the pockets of space on the edge of the area that are often so difficult to come by against a well-organised Burnley side.

Romelu Lukaku

Whether rightly or wrongly, United’s star-striker has taken plenty of criticism from his own supporters in recent weeks after a difficult spell spearheading the Red Devils’ attack.

But regardless of the supporters opinion, there is no doubt that he is the club’s best option at centre-forward, with Zlatan Ibrahimovic looking his age of late.

In Lukaku’s 4 appearances against Burnley, he has scored 2 goals and provided an assist, which suggests he should be involved in at least one goal against the Clarets this afternoon, providing that he receives quality service from his United team-mates.