Simon Stone
BBC Sport at Old Trafford

In his programme notes, Jose Mourinho said the fourth official would have an easy game because of his relationship with Boro boss Aitor Karanka. 

He was wrong.

Mourinho has just asked Neil Swarbrick to explain why Zlatan Ibrahimovic's goal was ruled out given the Swede got to the ball ahead of Victor Valdes, who then charged into him.

Not sure Mourinho was convinced.

Referee Lee Mason was booed as he went down the tunnel

Image source, EPA

An impressive showing from Manchester United midfielder Ander Herrera in the opening period.

His 62 passes at a 97% accuracy was better than any other player.

The Spaniard also make one interception and one clearance.

Bossing it.

Manchester United have struck the post twice and had a goal disallowed and find themselves goalless against Middlesbrough at the interval.

Image source, AFP

Boro skipper Grant Leadbitter sees his name in tomorrow's newspaper headlines as the ball drops to him outside the area, but his shot is wayward and not troubling David de Gea.

Marouane Fellaini cannot get enough power on another header and it is straight into the arms of Victor Valdes.

The Spanish goalkeeper has recovered from his coming together with Zlatan Ibrahimovic a couple of minutes ago.

Image source, Getty Images

Simon Stone
BBC Sport at Old Trafford

Michael Carrick has been ruled out of this afternoon's game through illness.

Looks can be deceptive of course but as the 35-year-old is watching the game from the directors' box, my money is on him being fit for Monday's trip to West Ham.

Three minutes to go until the interval. Boro will be happy with how it is going.

Alex Bruce
Hull City defender on Final Score

A fantastic bit of skill by Zlatan Ibrahimovic to get in front of the keeper and get his foot up and onto the ball in the air, exactly as his manager would want him to. What an awful decision by the referee. 

It's a great finish, it should have been a goal.

United take the lead through Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who pokes in from Anthony Martial's cross.

But controversy here.

Referee Lee Mason has ruled the goal out for a high boot.

The Swede gets to the ball ahead of Boro goalkeeper Victor Valdes, but catches him on the mid-riff on the follow through.

Ibrahimovic can't exactly take his foot away, so should the goal stand?

Jsoe Mourinho is bemused on the touchline, imitating his striker's action. You know exactly what he is thinking

Image source, Reuters

Anthony Martial his the post with a long range strike.

United edging closer to taking the lead...

Anthony Martial is giving on-loan Boro defender Calum Chambers a torrid time and may send him back to London with this showing.

Inside and out the Frenchman dances, sending Chambers into a spin.

That should be made into a gif captioned: "How I feel after a night out". Chambers was all over the place.

Image source, AP

Superb play from Henrikh Mkhitaryan, who rides a couple of Boro challenges before skidding a low shot across the box and wide of goal.

The Armenian looking to score in his fourth straight game.

And to think he could not even get into the side at the start of the season. 

Boro defender Ben Gibson has attracted the attention of bigger clubs like Chelsea and you can see why.

He does brilliantly to block Marouane Fellaini's shot on the turn from inside the area.

Jose Mourinho sat in the dugout scribbling notes into his book.

"New Year's Resolution, 1. Must behave."

The Boro defenders are having to work extremely hard as debutant Bernardo Espinosa is on the end of a Premier League baptism, as he stoops to head away Paul Pogba's whipped cross.

Home midfielder Marouane Fellaini then finds space inside the box, but his attempted header skims off his bushy hair-do and onto the roof of the net.

United do manage to work the ball into the box and Anthony Martial's pace is causing problems.

The Frenchman weaves his way into the area and cuts the ball back to Henrikh Mkhitaryan on the edge, but Boro goalkeeper Victor Valdes gets down low to his right to smother the Armenian's left-footed shot.

Image source, Getty Images

Manchester United are going to have to work out a way to unlock a Middlesbrough defensive line that sees a row of six players, with four in front on the edge of the box.

Aitor Karanka's side don't concede many, but don't score at the other end either.

Paul Pogba striking the post with an overhead kick is the closest we have been to a goal so far.

Simon Stone
BBC Sport at Old Trafford

It is only two years since Adama Traore was sharing a dressing room with Andres Iniesta, Pedro and Javier Mascherano at Barcelona.

His first-team career at Barca lasted only four matches though before he moved to Aston Villa in August 2015, from where he joined Middlesbrough.

Traore has proved somewhat inconsistent in England but he is impressing today with his lightening speed, which could easily have led to the Middlesbrough going ahead.

Image source, Getty Images

Not the best from Paul Pogba, as he strikes a curling effort way into the East Stand at Old Trafford.

The Frenchman curses himself after that strike.

Image source, Reuters