Manchester United: Ole Gunnar Solskjaer warns players to be wary of Manchester City fouling

United welcome City to Old Trafford with the chance to derail their neighbours' title challenge

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has warned his Manchester United players to be wary of Manchester City's aggressive play and fouling on Wednesday night.

United welcome City to Old Trafford with the chance to derail their neighbours' title challenge and boost their own hopes of a top-four finish.

Yet Solskjaer's side have lost six of their last eight games in all competitions and have only beaten City once at home in the league since 2011.

Jose Mourinho, Solskjaer's predecessor, felt that Pep Guardiola's City often resorted to 'tactical fouls' in order to win the ball back from opponents.

The new United manager suggested similar on Tuesday morning, while speaking with journalists at the club's Carrington training ground.

"We have got to be ready for the press, for their pressing," he said. "They have got quality on the ball so we have got to defend well.

"When we win it we have got to be ready for their aggression, because they will snap at your ankles and heels and kick you.

"They are not going to allow us easy counter attacking because there will be fouls.

"I have absolutely no doubt about it because when you watch those games they commit so many players forward and they will be stopping us as high as they can I think."

After Sunday's humiliating 4-0 defeat at Goodison Park, which saw the worst performance of Soskjaer's reign, the optimism generated by his appointment was finally obliterated.

The Norwegian hopes that a Manchester derby will be the perfect remedy for United's poor form and force a reaction from his players.

"That's the best game we could ask for now with players hurt, as they definitely were," he said.

"We have had a meeting after the game, you can see all the players were definitely definitely disappointed but really really hurt by that performance

"The City game is the perfect one. There's no hiding place on the pitch and our fans will back you whatever the result will be so long as you give that effort against a City side that has been very good. We have got to turn up."