The Premier League have confirmed who will be officiating Manchester United as Rúben Amorim’s Reds travel to face Nottingham Forest on Saturday afternoon.
Manchester United are flying at the moment as Rúben Amorim prepares his team for Saturday afternoon’s Premier League trip to Nottingham Forest.
Amorim’s side have put together an impressive run of three straight wins, beating Sunderland 2-0, edging Liverpool 2-1, and dismantling Brighton 4-2 at Old Trafford last weekend.
Forest, on the other hand, are enduring a turbulent season. The Tricky Trees are already on their third manager of the campaign, with Sean Dyche now trying to steady the ship.
United’s recent surge has lifted them to sixth in the Premier League, leapfrogging Liverpool, while Forest find themselves in 18th place with only five points from nine games — setting up a potentially fiery battle at The City Ground.
United vs Forest referee confirmed
Darren England (pictured above) will be the referee on Sunday afternoon in Nottingham. England officiated 20 Premier League fixtures last season, one UEFA match, and four other English domestic fixtures.
England officiated United twice last season, including United’s 3-2 loss against Forest at Old Trafford in December 2024. He also refereed United’s 3-2 comeback win against Ipswich Town, again in Manchester.
Last season, England issued 82 yellow cards in the Premier League and 105 across all competitions. He issued five red cards last season, one via two yellow cards and four straight. He awarded five penalties, three of which came in the Premier League.
During the game, Scott Ledger and Akil Howson will serve as England’s assistant referees. Bobby Madley will be the fourth official on Sunday afternoon, separating Amorim and Dyche.
Tim Robinson has been appointed as the Video Assistant Referee. Paul Howard will act as assistant VAR.
IFAB set to propose three new rule changes
Amid the current controversy surrounding poor decision-making and VAR intervention, the International Football Association Board’s (IFAB) advisory group, football’s lawmakers, are set to propose three new rule changes during the body’s annual business meeting on 20 January 2026.
The most signifiacnt of the three proposals is that VAR would be allowed to overturn second yellow cards if they are deemed too harsh, as they could be interpreted as a significant game-changing decision.
At the same time, it is also proposed that the eight-second rule for goalkeepers to relinquish possession after catching the ball should also apply to set pieces such as corners, throw-ins, and free kicks.
Finally, it is also recommended that the policy of allowing only captains to speak with referees about decisions become mandatory.
Make sure to follow UtdDistrict on X, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok to never miss out on any of our Manchester United content. Our podcast, What the Devil?, is streamed live every Thursday at 12:30 pm (BST) on the United View YouTube channel.