Manchester City vs Manchester United team news: Cristiano Ronaldo and Raphael Varane ruled out

Cristiano Ronaldo and Raphael Varane have been ruled out of today’s Manchester derby through injury.

Manchester United will be without their top scorer in addition to fellow striker Edinson Cavani.

It leaves Marcus Rashford as the only recognised striker given Mason Greenwood remains unavailable and Anthony Martial joined Sevilla on loan in January.

Ronaldo is in the midst of his leanest period in front of goal for 13 years with just one goal in his past 10 games for United.

But the 37-year-old’s absence is a setback for interim manager Ralf Rangnick, particularly given that Cavani is also unavailable, as United bid to atone for last November’s pitiful 2-0 defeat by City at Old Trafford and give their top four hopes a significant post.

Ronaldo remains comfortably United’s top scorer this season with 15 goals in 30 matches.

Centre-back Varane is also missing in a further blow to Rangnick.

Ahead of the game, Rangnick backed "abundant talent" Marcus Rashford to rediscover his top form.

The Etihad Stadium hosts the 187th Manchester derby on Sunday, when the Red Devils will look to boost their top-four chances against the Premier League leaders.

United come into the match bruised by last weekend's 0-0 home draw with Watford, where their recent profligacy in front of goal continued on an afternoon when they had 22 shots without scoring.

Rangnick believes things will soon turn for the team and backed Rashford to shine in the coming weeks.

"A few things that have happened in the last couple of weeks, or two months couldn't have been foreseen by anybody," he said of United's goalscoring issues, appearing to nod at forward Mason Greenwood's club suspension.

"Now, with Edinson at least being available for the game and the upcoming