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Why is United versus Villa not live on UK TV?

Manchester United's match against Aston Villa on Saturday will not be shown live on UK television, despite the 12:30 BST kick-off time.

Unusually, this is the second consecutive home Premier League fixture that is not being screened live in the country, after Cristiano Ronaldo's emotional return against Newcastle United, which ended in a resounding 4-1 victory for the Reds, was also not selected for broadcast.

There is some extra confusion around the Villa visit because the start time has switched to the regular lunchtime slot.

This is when BT Sport are covering Chelsea's match with Manchester City from Stamford Bridge.

However, the reason for the switch is due to a music concert taking place at the Old Trafford cricket ground on Saturday.

As communicated earlier this month, The Courteneers are playing at Lancashire Cricket Club and a request was made by Trafford Council's Safety Advisory Group to move United's clash. 

This was supported by Greater Manchester Police and TfGM to help avoid any logistical issues relating to the two crowds.

United have been handed other early starts on the Premier League weekend, including the home game with Everton on 2 October, which is live on BT Sport.

Our next league game after the Toffees clash, on 16 October, is at Leicester City but that is a 15:00 start and is another that will not be shown live on the UK.

Following the announcement of November's fixtures, it is worth noting that the Manchester derby against City at Old Trafford is a 12:30 GMT kick-off but is live on Sky Sports and not BT Sport. 

The trip to Watford on 20 November has not been selected for live broadcast by either channel.

Match preview: United v Aston Villa

You can follow all the build-up from MUTV on the Official App and ManUtd.com ahead of the Villa contest, with radio commentary available for those unable to attend Old Trafford. Look out for the best in-game coverage and post-match reaction.

Our show begins at 11:25 BST and we'll announce the all-important team news an hour before kick-off.

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