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As it happenedended1460813087

Manchester United vs Aston Villa live: Latest score, team news and updates with Villa on brink as Rooney returns

Follow the latest from the Premier League relegation decider at Old Trafford

Charles Reynolds
Saturday 16 April 2016 11:48 BST
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Wayne Rooney returned from injury for Manchester United on Wednesday
Wayne Rooney returned from injury for Manchester United on Wednesday (Getty)

Manchester United can relegate Aston Villa with a draw or better to effectively end what has been a miserable year for Villa. Follow the latest here.

  • Wayne Rooney starts after returning from injury on Wednesday
  • Ander Herrera absent with foot injury
  • Bastian Schweinsteiger to miss rest of the season with knee injury
  • United can close gap to rivals City to just a point with victory
  • Gabriel Agbonlahor to miss game due to undergoing two-week fitness programme
  • Alan Hutton returns from ban

Teams:

Manchester United: De Gea, Valencia, Smalling, Blind, Rojo, Schneiderlin, Fellaini, Mata, Rooney, Memphis, Rashford.

Subs: Romero, Darmian, Fosi-Mensah, McNair, Young, Lingard, Martial.

Aston Villa: Guzan; Hutton, Clark, Lescott, Cissokho; Bacuna, Westwood, Gana, Richardson; Sinclair; Ayew.

Subs: Bunn, Richards, Sanchez, Gilm Lyden, Gestede, Grealish.

Follow the live action below…

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Read more Premier League stories:
Higginbotham: If Newcastle drop down they will struggle to bounce back
Ranieri calm as Leicester close in on title
Van Gaal says he is under more scrutiny than any other manager

Today’s fixtures:

Norwich City vs Sunderland – 12.45pm

Everton vs Southampton – 3pm

Manchester United vs Aston Villa – 3pm

Newcastle United vs Swansea City – 3pm

West Bromwich Albion vs Watford – 3pm

Chelsea vs Manchester City – 3pm

Sunday’s fixtures:

Bournemouth vs Liverpool – 1.30pm

Leicester City vs West Ham – 1.30pm

Arsenal vs Crystal Palace – 4pm

Monday’s fixture:

Stoke City vs Tottenham Hotspur – 8pm

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Good morning and welcome to the Independent's live coverage of today's Premier League action in what is set to be crunch time for Aston Villa.

Villa know that anything but a victory against Manchester United will see them relegated to the Championship, although their fate may be taken out of their own hands before they've even kicked a ball. Norwich face Sunderland in the lunchtime kick-off in a crucial relegation encounter, and should the Canaries win they will go 18 points clear of Villa and hold a vastly superior goal difference, meaning that Villa would be all but relegated with 18 points available.

Elsewhere, Newcastle must get a victory against Swansea if they are to fight back in the battle for Premier League safety, while Southampton have the chance to overtake West Ham in fifth when they travel to Everton and West Brom host Watford at the Hawthorns.

Finally, we wrap up the day with an enticing fixture at Stamford Bridge as outgoing champions Chelsea take on Champions League semi-finalists Manchester City at 5.30pm.

Jack de Menezes16 April 2016 10:47
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Jack de Menezes16 April 2016 10:47
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Charles Reynolds16 April 2016 11:01
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Charles Reynolds16 April 2016 11:02
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Charles Reynolds16 April 2016 11:02
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Charles Reynolds16 April 2016 11:24
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Just under an hour until kick off in the mouthwatering relegation crunch (which sounds like a terrible brand of cereal) between Norwich and Sunderland – anyway here are the teams:Norwich: Ruddy, Wisdom, Bennett, Bassong, Olsson, Jarvis, O'Neil, Howson, Brady, Naismith, Mbokani. Subs: Jerome, Rudd, Hoolahan, Dorrans, Mulumbu, Redmond, Ivo Pinto.

 Sunderland: Mannone, Yedlin, Kone, Kaboul, Van Aanholt, Kirchhoff, Borini, Cattermole, M'Vila, Khazri, Defoe. 

Subs: Jones, Larsson, N'Doye, Pickford, O'Shea, Toivonen, Watmore. 

Charles Reynolds16 April 2016 11:56
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366af6d5-a8b8-4c14-ad5c-b57539ebb467.jpgIt's all kicking off in Norwich! 

Charles Reynolds16 April 2016 12:06
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Sunderland winners in today's battle of the mascots - even if Norwich's 'Captain Canary' has a great nameca9bb6f9-1f80-48f4-a7c6-37095d71a83f.jpg

Charles Reynolds16 April 2016 12:30
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Norwich 0 Sunderland 0: Oooh, early panic for Sunderland as a free kick is played into the box and they struggle to deal with it. One of the Norwich players was offside though. 

Charles Reynolds16 April 2016 12:49

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