Manchester United vs Middlesbrough live: What time does it start, what TV channel is it on and where can I watch it?

A look ahead to the Premier League fixture at Old Trafford

Manchester United welcome Boro to Old Trafford (Getty)

The master meets the apprentice at Old Trafford as Aitor Karanka and his Middlesbrough team travel to face Jose Mourinho’s Manchester United.

Karanka worked under Mourinho during his ill-fated three-year spell at Real Madrid between 2010 and 2013 and still considers the Portuguese to be “a real friend”.

Both men, however, will be hoping for three points, with the hosts looking to extend their Premier League winning streak to five games after Monday’s victory over Sunderland.

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It’s a big game for…

Victor Valdes: The Middlesbrough goalkeeper is going back to Old Trafford where he failed to get much game time under Louis Van Gaal. The Spaniard will be looking to prove to his former employers that he can still do a job between the sticks.

Best stat…

100: This will be the hundredth meeting between Manchester United and Middlesbrough with the former taking 50 wins, Middlesbrough 22 and the 27 other fixtures ending in draws.

Remember when...

Gaizka Mendieta scored the fourth goal in a remarkable 4-1 drubbing of United back in 2005, co-incidentally the last time Boro have triumphed over the Manchester club.

Player to watch…

Henrikh Mkhitaryan: The fan favourite has really impressed since being given more game time by Jose Mourinho. In his first game back from injury on Boxing Day he netted that ingenious scorpion kick in the closing moments. Boro will need to keep the Armenian playmaker quiet to quell any attacks from the hosts.

Past three meetings…

Manchester United 0 Middlesbrough 0 (Middlesbrough win on penalties), EFL Cup, October 2015

Middlesbrough 0 Manchester United 2 (Giggs, Park Ji Sung), Premier League, May 2009

Manchester United 1 (Berbatov) Middlesbrough 0, EFL Cup, December 2008

Henrikh Mkhitaryan scored the winning goal against Tottenham to hand Jose Mourinho his first big scalp in the Premier League (Getty)

Form guide…

Manchester United: DWWWWW

Middlesbrough: DWLLWL

Vital information…

KICK-OFF TIME: 15:00, Saturday 31 December 2016

TV: Highlights on Match of the Day, BBC TWO – 10pm

Odds…

Manchester United to win: 2/7

Middlesbrough: 12/1

Draw: 5/1

[31 December 2016 19:09 · Mark Critchley]

82 mins: Origi wins a corner for Liverpool, who are finally having a better spell. Eight minutes from a win which put them six points behind Chelsea.

[31 December 2016 19:12 · Mark Critchley]

85 mins: Mane has been arguably Liverpool's best player and more intricate footwork almost puts him in on goal, but City scramble it clear.

[31 December 2016 19:16 · Mark Critchley]

87 mins: Lallana eases Silva off the ball on the edge of the area. City want a free-kick but the referee waves play on. Looked the right decision. Iheanacho is on for Toure for City, while Lucas replaces Mane for the home side.

[31 December 2016 19:17 · Mark Critchley]

90 mins: Into injury-time we go - four minutes of it.

[31 December 2016 19:18 · Mark Critchley]

91 mins: City come forward, they have just less than three minutes to save a point - or suffer a real blow to their title hopes.

[31 December 2016 19:20 · Mark Critchley]

93 minutes: Origi steams in on Otamendi in the corner and, to his credit, forces a foul out of the City man. Liverpool, unsurprisingly, take it short as they try to run down the clock.

[31 December 2016 19:21 · Mark Critchley]

94 minutes: One last chance for City to come forward - Liverpool crowd demanding the full-time whistle.

[31 December 2016 19:22 · Mark Critchley]

FULL-TIME

A big, big win for Liverpool. Wijnaldum's early header did the damage and, in all honesty, Liverpool were rarely troubled. klopp's men move to within six points of leaders Chelsea, while Pep Guardiola's side are now 10 points behind the men from Stamford Bridge.