How to follow Brentford v United

United travel to West London for a Tuesday evening encounter with Brentford, our first competitive match against the Bees for more than four deacdes.

Ahead of our fifth game in December, here's everything you need to know...

HOW CAN I FOLLOW THE MATCH?

The game at the Brentford Community Stadium kicks off at 19:30 GMT on Tuesday and will be broadcast live on BT Sport 1 in the UK. MUTV's coverage will begin when Matchday Live goes on air at 18:25 GMT - the show will include pre-match build-up, live match radio commentary and post-match analysis. Alternatively, you can follow the game with live updates via ManUtd.com and our Official App.

TEAM NEWS

United lined up with an unchanged team for the third successive Premier League game at the weekend, but with only three days of rest since our win against Norwich, Ralf Rangnick may shake things up on Tuesday. The only concern from the weekend was the health of Victor Lindelof. The Swedish centre-back was forced off in the second half after feeling some discomfort while breathing.

Edinson Cavani and Raphael Varane are close to a return for United, although they remain unlikely to start yet. Paul Pogba remains unavailable, although the Frenchman has returned from Dubai, where he has been recovering from injury. Anthony Martial is also a doubt.

Nemanja Matic, Juan Mata (both illness) and Aaron Wan-Bissaka (knee and wrist) missed Saturday's match against Norwich. Further updates on their fitness are yet to come.

As for Brentford, talismanic striker Ivan Toney is available once again, according to head coach Thomas Frank, perhaps from the bench. Toney has missed the last two fixtures after testing positive for COVID-19.

Frank will be able to select Sergi Canos again after the Spanish winger missed the match against Watford due to suspension. However, goalkeeper David Raya and defender Kristoffer Ajer are out with knee and thigh injuries respectively.

FORM GUIDE

A dogged victory over Norwich City on Saturday evening extended United's unbeaten run in all competitions to six games, four of which have been in the Premier League. Crucially, it was also a second consecutive clean sheet, a feat this United side had last achieved in March. Cristiano Ronaldo emphatically converted a 75th-minute penalty which he had won himself to give the Reds a narrow victory.

Brentford began the season in stunning, headline-making fashion with a 2-0 opening day victory at home to Arsenal. The Bees have since managed several impressive wins over Wolves, West Ham, Everton and Watford but their form has been understandably inconsistent as a newly-promoted outfit. Frank's side have won five games in the Premier League but never managed to win more than one match in a single month. At the weekend, Bryan Mbeumo's 95th-minute spot-kick completed a second-half comeback and secured all three points against Watford.

THE MANAGER

Charismatic 48-year-old Frank was a dedicated youth coach for nearly two decades before moving into the senior game at Brondby IF. He joined Brentford as assistant coach in 2016 and replaced Dean Smith as head coach two years later, achieving two successive third-placed Championship finishes and eventually play-off glory in 2021. A former student of Physical Education and Sports Psychology in Denmark, Frank's sides, who normally set up in a 4-3-3, play with high intensity in their pressing, movement and passing. He became the Premier League's second Danish manager this season, following in the footsteps of Michael Laudrup.

A NEW GROUND

Brentford left their historic Griffin Park home recently, moving into the newly-built Brentford Community Stadium. That means it's a new ground for Manchester United fans to travel to: the third this season, in fact. In October, travelling Reds got to experience the new Tottenham Hotspur Stadium for the first time, soon followed by the recently-renovated Gewiss Stadium in Bergamo.

RECENT MEETINGS

United and Brentford haven't faced off competitively for more than 40 years. In 1975, goals from Lou Macari and Sammy McIlroy gave United a League Cup second-round victory at Old Trafford.

However, we did come up against Brentford in pre-season as the Theatre of Dreams was lit up by a string of stunnings goals in a summer friendly. Anthony Elanga's fantastic volley put United ahead before Shandon Baptiste's sensational edge-of-the-box dipper beat Tom Heaton to equalise. Andreas Pereira's volley made jaws drop when it rattled in off the crossbar into the top right corner, and then Mbeumo curled in an excellent leveller 12 minutes from time.

KEY STATS

Norwich City were the 165th different team that Cristiano Ronaldo has scored against his career (120 clubs, 45 countries). The Portuguese No.7 has never played Brentford before, and so a goal in West London on Tuesday would make them number 166.

No player has scored more winning goals in the Premier League this season than Ronaldo (four, level with Man City's Bernardo Silva).

MATCH OFFICIALS

Referee: Andre Marriner

Assistants: Simon Long, Scott Ledger

Fourth official: John Brooks

VAR: Jarred Gillett

Assistant VAR: Lee Betts

RIVALS WATCH

TUESDAY 14 DECEMBER

Brentford v UNITED (19:30 GMT)
Norwich v Aston Villa (19:45 GMT)
Man City v Leeds (20:00 GMT)

WEDNESDAY 15 DECEMBER

Brighton v Wolves (19:30 GMT)
Burnley v Watford (19:30 GMT)
Crystal Palace v Southampton (19:30 GMT)
Arsenal v West Ham (20:00 GMT)

THURSDAY 16 DECEMBER

Leicester v Tottenham (19:30 GMT)
Chelsea v Everton (19:45 GMT)
Liverpool v Newcastle (20:00 GMT)