Manchester United return to Premier League action away to top-four rivals Tottenham Hotspur later today, with the Red Devils having come out on top in each of the last four meetings with the north London outfit.

Seeking to make it five in a row this evening against a side that only recently parted company with interim boss, Cristian Stellini, the Old Trafford outfit have been dealt something of a blow amid the concern surrounding influential midfielder, Bruno Fernandes.

As manager Erik ten Hag revealed in his pre-match press conference on Wednesday, the 28-year-old is a doubt for the trip to the capital, having been withdrawn early on in extra time at the weekend after sustaining an ankle injury.

The sight of the Portugal international heading off in Sunday's FA Cup semi-final triumph over Brighton and Hove Albion undoubtedly sparked fears among supporters, as too did the images of the former Sporting CP ace wearing a protective boot earlier this week.

While there is still seemingly a chance that the £240k-per-week ace will feature this evening, if the midfield maestro is not fit for selection then it will pose a selection headache for Ten Hag in that creative berth.

That being said, one man who could well help to fill Fernandes' void is January arrival, Marcel Sabitzer, with the Austrian machine having previously made the difference against the Lilywhites during his time in Germany.

Who will replace Fernandes against Spurs?

The Bayern Munich loanee did rather unsuccessfully fill in for Fernandes in the second-leg humiliation away to Sevilla last week, although prior to that the 29-year-old had enjoyed a rich vein of form, bagging twice in an advanced role in the first-leg clash at the Theatre of Dreams.

The dynamic gem also 'thrived' in that role in the win over Everton earlier this month, as per Manchester Evening News journalist Samuel Luckhurst, while also contributing an assist for Marcus Rashford in the victory against Brentford.

Clearly capable of making an impact in the final third, the £13m-rated ace also offers the benefit of having been a match-winner against Spurs in the recent past, helping former club RB Leipzig to a 3-0 win in the Champions League last-16 back in 2020.

That one-sided, second-leg meeting with Jose Mourinho's side saw the 5 foot 10 menace score twice in the opening 21 minutes to take the tie away from the Premier League outfit, firing the hosts ahead in Saxony with a long-range effort that squirmed through the gloves of Hugo Lloris.

The one-time Rapid Wien ace then doubled his tally soon after having yet again got the better of the World Cup-winning 'keeper, producing a bullet, near-post header that proved "too much" for the experienced Frenchman in the sticks, as per football.london's Alasdair Gold.

While there are concerns surrounding Lloris' fitness ahead of tonight, Sabitzer could inflict even more misery on the struggling dud – who shipped five in the first half at the weekend away to Newcastle United – and his teammates by lining up from the start later today.

The possible loss of Fernandes would be an undoubted blow, yet the loan signing could represent something of a secret weapon for Ten Hag.