The Premier League have confirmed who will officiate Manchester United’s trip to face West Ham in East London on Tuesday evening.
Michael Carrick will be looking to make it five wins from five as his Manchester United squad heads to East London to face off against 18th-placed West Ham on Tuesday evening.
Since the former midfielder replaced Rúben Amorim as head coach, the club have secured wins against Manchester City, Arsenal, Fulham, and Tottenham, cementing their position five points clear within the possible Champions League qualification spots.
However, West Ham will certainly come with fight and fire. Although they sit in the relegation spots, they are just three points off safety, with the London Stadium having been an unpleasant place for United in terms of results in the last few seasons.
After Nuno Espirito Santos’ men held United to a 1-1 draw at Old Trafford in December, a win for either side on Tuesday evening could be pivotal in either continuing or creating momentum ahead of the remainder of the Premier League campaign.
United vs West Ham referee confirmed
Simon Hooper (pictured above) will be the referee on Tuesday evening in East London. Hooper has officiated 14 Premier League fixtures this season, as well as three in other domestic competitions.
Hooper has officiated United three times this campaign. One came during United’s opening game of the campaign, a 1-0 loss to Arsenal, and another was a thrilling 4-4 draw with Bournemouth in December. He also officiated United’s 2-1 loss against Brighton in the FA Cup, where he sent off Shea Lacey.
This season, Hooper has issued 58 yellow cards in the Premier League and 74 across all competitions. He has issued four reds card this season, three being straight, and has awarded just one penalty, coming in the Premier League.
During the game, Adrian Holmes and Simon Long will serve as Hooper’s assistant referees. Tim Robinson will be the fourth official on Sunday afternoon, separating Carrick and Nuno.
Craig Pawson has been appointed as the Video Assistant Referee. Dan Robathan will act as assistant VAR.
Five stars could miss London Stadium clash
United only have three injury worries ahead of the West Ham, with two players already confirmed to be missing the tie. One is Mason Mount, who suffered a knock in training last week and has missed both the Fulham and Spurs wins.
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Matthijs de Ligt is still a few weeks away after suffering multiple setbacks during his rehabilitation from a back injury sustained in late November, while Patrick Chinazaekpere Dorgu remains unavailable for another few months due to a hamstring issue.
Meanwhile, West Ham only have one injury concern, with back-up goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski still out with a back problem that has plagued him for a lot of the current campaign.
However, centre-back Jean-Clair Todibo, who is a favourite of Sir Jim Ratcliffe in the sense that he fought hard for United to try and sign him two summers ago, is suspended as he serves the second of a three-game ban following a red card for violent conduct against Chelsea.
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