On course? I'm not so sure about that Mark. 

Image source, AFP

Mark: One cup in the bag, fewer defeats than the league leaders and still on course for Champions League football. United have been short for 3 years, let's not judge José quite yet. 

No Adnan Januzaj available for Sunderland today of course, he's on loan from Manchester United so can't play.

Luke Shaw, playing on the same side as controller Mourinho in this first half, rolls a pass to Jesse Lingard and he blasts one straight at Jordan Pickford.

Away we go! 10 points adrift or not it's a near full house on a lovely sunny afternoon at the Stadium of Light. 

Anyone want to enter the Lee Cattermole booking sweepstake? I'm going 23 minutes.

Marouane Fellaini to get booked and score a header double. 

If you haven't seen it already (or even if you have!), you can catch up with the best of the action from the  FA People's Cup  regional semi-finals  here.

Here's a taster...

A make-shift Manchester United team? A few changes for sure but that XI still cost United about £257m...

Sunderland: Pickford, Jones, Kone, Denayer, Oviedo, Cattermole, Ndong, Rodwell, Larsson, Defoe, Anichebe. S u bs: Mannone, Djilobodji, Borini, Khazri, Pienaar, Manquillo, Gibson.

Man Utd : Romero, Darmian, Bailly, Rojo, Shaw, Fellaini, Pogba, Mkhitaryan, Ander Herrera, Lingard, Ibrahimovic. Subs : Martial, Carrick, Blind, Rashford, Fosu-Mensah, Tuanzebe, Joel Pereira.

Referee : Craig Pawson (South Yorkshire)

The teams are in the tunnel, Manchester United in bright blue this afternon. The towering presence of captain Marouane Fellaini dwarves Lee Cattermole. 

Sunderland boss David Moyes tells Sky Sports: "Victor Anichebe is not 100% - he could do with a bit more playing time. I'm not sure how much we'll get out of him.

"Our position means the games are running out. David de Gea is a great keeper. But they have another 10 or 11 very good players."

Sunderland's best player and his biggest fan. A hug for Bradley Lowery in the warm-up this afternoon. 

Image source, AFP

Gareth in Greenwich: As a big Sunderland fan can I please ask for an end to all of this Fellaini bashing? Its inevitable result is a hat trick.

Les Wilson in Farnborough: People slating Fellaini are not true United fans. Respect the shirt and trust the Manager. Boo boys need to shut up and get behind the lads - all of them.

Kelvin Obakhavbaye: What's all the fuss about Fellaini captaining the side? He has had some really good games for Manchester United .

Steve Harper
Former Newcastle keeper on BBC Radio 5 live

I was here this time last year when there was an optimism and a belief. I don't think the Sunderland players believe they will stay up. The have been set up to survive for the last 10 years and eventually that's going to catch up with you. 

Image source, Getty Images

Jack Rodwell is winless in his last 11 Premier League games at the Stadium of Light (D5 L6) last ending on the winning side against Manchester United in Feb 2016.  

Is today the day?

It has been nearly six months since Manchester United lost in the Premier League.

When they last lost - at Chelsea in October - a third Heathrow runway had yet to be approved, Barack Obama was still President of the US and Candice had yet to win the Bake Off.

AGES ago.

United have since gone 20 matches without defeat and have gone from seventh in the league to, er, sixth.

Will a 21 bust Sunderland today?

Steve Harper
Former Newcastle keeper on BBC Radio 5 live

Mourinho has been a big supporter and very publicly backed Fellaini this season. We all know he likes to make his statements and what a show of support to make Fellaini his captain.

We don't see what goes on behind the scenes if he is a real driving force. Physically he's a very big player so we'll see if it pays off.

Image source, Getty Images

We are being told that David de Gea is out today with a minor injury and will miss the midweek Europa League game as is par for the course.

Phil Neville tells Sky Sports that De Gea has been dropped though...

Martin, Warsash: United fans - Fellaini is not my favourite player but surely anyone can see that Mourinho has got more out of him than previous managers. If he scores the winner today you'll all claim credit!

Oli: Fellaini as captain sums up our season and everything wrong with the current side please Jose why are you doing this to us

Mwalimu Pedro: Jose Mourinho surely has a sense of humour putting Fellaini as cap

Being captain of a team doesn't actually count for much anyway, does it?

All he's got to do is pose for a few photos and do the coin toss...

Pep Guardiola says the race for a top-four place will go to the last weekend, so do Manchester United still have a say?

They are seven points behind City, with two games in hand...