Manchester United takeover news live plus Sir Jim Ratcliffe latest and Man Utd injury updates

Manchester United are back in action this afternoon as they host Aston Villa at Old Trafford in their penultimate Premier League fixture of 2023.

United spent Christmas Day in eighth place and as far away from Everton in 16th as Arsenal in first place in the table, following Saturday's disappointing 2-0 defeat at West Ham. Erik ten Hag's side failed to score for a fourth consecutive game before conceding two soft goals.

But supporters were able to enjoy their Christmas dinners with a hint of optimism after Sunday's confirmation that Sir Jim Ratcliffe will hold a 25 per cent stake in the club, subject to passing the owners' and directors' test. The INEOS chief is expected to invest around £1.3billion into the club and will take charge of footballing operations.

Ratcliffe is not expected to pass the test in time to have any palpable influence on United's January transfer business, but club chiefs have suggested it will be a quiet month regardless. Ten Hag is open to strengthening his squad but focus will mostly be on offloading those on the fringes.

Back to today, and United will welcome Diogo Dalot back into the squad after he served a suspension over the weekend, but the likes of Harry Maguire, Mason Mount, Lisandro Martinez and Casemiro remain unavailable.

Follow all the latest news, gossip and analysis plus early build-up to this afternoon's game below:

The sceptical United fan might suggest Sunday's investment announcement was conveniently timed to gloss over the dismal defeat that occurred a little over 24 hours prior.

Following 13 months of talks and several weeks in which it was well-known that Ratcliffe would gain a 25 per cent stake in United, late afternoon on Christmas Eve was picked as the prime time to