JUMP TO:
Manchester United begin life after Ruben Amorim with a trip to relegation-threatened Burnley in the Premier League.
Darren Fletcher will take charge of United as caretaker manager after Amorim was relieved of his duties on Monday.
There remains plenty to salvage from United’s season as they lie sixth, leave on points with fifth-placed Chelsea and just three behind Liverpool in fourth. The reigning champions travel to Arsenal on Thursday.
By contrast, Burnley are staring at a second successive instant return to the Championship. The Clarets are 19th on 12 points, nine shy of safety.
The Sporting News is following the Burnley vs. Manchester United match live, providing score updates and commentary
Burnley vs. Man United live score
| 1st Half | Goalscorers | |
| Burnley | 0 | |
| Man United | 0 |
Venue: Turf Moor, Burnley
Referee: Stuart Attwell
Keep track of every game and every goal via SN’s live Premier League scoreboard
Confirmed lineups:
Burnley (5-4-1, right to left): 1, Martin Dubravka (GK) — 2. Kyle Walker, 29. Josh Laurent, 12. Bashir Humphreys, 5. Maxime Esteve, 23. Lucas Pires — 10. Marcus Edwards, 8. Lesley Ugochukwu, 16. Florentino, 28. Hannibal Mejbri — 27. Armando Broja
Man United (4-2-3-1, right to left): Lammens (GK) — Dalot, Heaven, Martinez, Shaw — Casemiro, Ugarte — Dorgu, Fernandes, Cunha — Sesko
MORE: Man United “DNA” cannot replace Ruben Amorim and turn around Old Trafford malaise
Burnley vs. Man United live updates, highlights, and commentary
10 mins: Dorgu playing off the left, rather than the right and he has a chance here. Sesko finds the Dane darting in-field but his touch is too heavy on the edge of the Burnley box.
5 mins: Burnley venture forward with Hannibal finding Pires. His cross is really poor, though, with options in the middle.
Kickoff: 1st Half
We’re underway. A punt downfield and one-time United goalkeeper Dubravka will have a goal kick.
5 mins: Here come the teams. The post-Amorim era starts here for Manchester United
30 mins before kickoff: So, Darren and Jonny are at the wheel tonight, But will it be Ole at the wheel again soon? Our man Kyle Bonn had a look at the last time Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was United’s interim manager and it became a more permanent arrangement.

1 hr 5 mins before kickoff: Here’s the Burnley side. Former United youngster Hannibal Mejbri is back and straight into the first XI following Tunisia’s weekend exit from the Africa Cup of Nations. Lyle Foster is similarly back on the bench after South Africa’s defeat to Cameroon on Sunday.
Taking on Manchester United tonight 📋 pic.twitter.com/6Wxms4Pk5Q
— Burnley FC (@BurnleyOfficial) January 7, 2026
1 hr 15 mins before kickoff: The teams are in. Bruno Fernandes returns, as expected for United. Kobbie Mainoo, Harry Maguire and Mason Mount are all on the bench, alongside the caretaker manager’s son Jack Fletcher. It looks like Fletcher Sr, will set United up in a 4-2-3-1, with Patrik Dorgu on the right wing.
Representing United at Turf Moor 💪⚪️
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) January 7, 2026
1 hr 30 mins before kickoff: Jonny Evans joins Darren Fletcher as assistant in the visiting dugout at Turf Moor. Another former teammate, Ashley Young, has wished them well. Honestly, these past couple of days have started to feel a bit like the Stick To Football podcast has expanded into group therapy.
Fletch and Jonny, all the best tonight! Looking forward to seeing YANITED 👹
— Ashley Young (@youngy18) January 7, 2026
2 hours before kickoff: Fletcher told yeterday’s pre-match press conference that he asked for Sir Alex Ferguson’s “blessing” before taking temporary charge of United and said he runs all big decisions past his former boss. Hopefully this doesn’t extend beyond football to where the Fletcher family should go on holiday or remortgaging the house.
Anyway, it’s another demonstration of what plenty of people call “Manchester United DNA”. This probably isn’t the best basis upon which to go about apppointing an elite football coach, as discussed below.
MORE: Man United “DNA” cannot replace Ruben Amorim and turn around Old Trafford malaise
2 hrs 30 mins before kickoff: Darren Fletcher will take charge of United as caretaker manager tonight. The plans is for United to appoint an interim until the end of the season, with Fletcher one of the names in the frame, before making a permanent appointment in the summer. Here’s a breakdown of that situation, as it stands.

MORE: Man United interim manager options: Best candidates for temporary role as Ruben Amorim replacement
3 hours before kickoff. Hello and welcome to The Sporting News’ live coverage of Burnley vs. Manchester United. Darren Fletcher takes charge of United as caretaker manager following the departure of Ruben Amorim. Here’s a recap of exactly how we got here.

Burnley vs. Man United kick off time
This Premier League match kicks off in Burnley, UK at 8:15 p.m. local time.
Here’s how that time translates across some of the major territories:
| Date | Kickoff time | |
| USA | Wed, Jan 7 | 3:15 p.m. ET/ 12:15 p.m. PT |
| Canada | Wed, Jan 7 | 3:15 p.m. ET/ 12:15 p.m. PT |
| UK | Wed, Jan 7 | 8:15 p.m. GMT |
| Australia | Thu, Jan 8 | 7:15 a.m. AEDT |
| India | Thu, Jan 8 | 1:45 a.m. IST |
Burnley vs. Man United lineups, team news
Burnley’s 11-match winless run is compounded by a huge absentee list. Josh Cullen (knee), Zeki Amdouni (knee), Connor Roberts (calf), Joe Worrall (muscle), Zian Flemming (muscle) and Jordan Beyer (hamstring) are all in the treatment room.
Former United youngster Axel Tuanzebe remains on AFCON duty but Hannibal Mejbri and Lyle Foster are back to start and feature on the bench respectively..
Maxime Esteve is fit again and slots into what looks like a back five.
Burnley starting XI (5-4-1, right to left): Dubravka (GK) — Walker, Laurent, Humphreys, Esteve, Pires — Edwards, Ugochukwu, Florentino, Mejbri — Broja
Burnley subs: Matchday squads released one hour and 15 minutes before kickoff
All eyes will be on whether Fletcher sticks with Amorim’s much-maligned 3-4-2-1 or reverts to some variation on the 4-3-3 he has typically deployed when working with United’s youth teams.
Mason Mount and Bruno Fernandes are each fit to return, although Fletcher pledged to manage the club captain’s minutes carefully. Harry Maguire (thigh) is back in training and Kobbie Mainoo (calf) could also be involved after falling from favour under Amorim.
Matthijs de Ligt (back) remains out, while Bryan Mbeumo, Noussair Mazraoui and Amad Diallo are at AFCON.
Man United predicted starting XI (4-2-3-1, right to left): Lammens (GK) — Dalot, Heaven, Martinez, Shaw — Casemiro, Ugarte — Dorgu, Fernandes, Cunha — Sesko
Man United subs: Matchday squads released one hour and 15 minutes before kickoff
Burnley vs. Man United live stream, TV channel
Here is how to watch the match in some of the world’s major regions:
| Region | TV | Streaming |
| USA | USA Network | DIRECTV |
| Canada | — | Fubo, DAZN |
| UK | Sky Sports Premier League | Sky GO, Sky Sports website |
| Australia | — | Stan Sport |
| India | Star Sports Select 1 | JioHotstar |


