Another blot in Henrikh Mkhitaryan's copybook.

The Armenian over-cooks a cross to bring a promising counter-attack to an end.

Marcus Rashford and Jesse Lingard had put on the burners to get involved.

That won't win the Armenian much more game time.

You have to get up early in the morning to catch out David de Gea.

With his team-mates lined up for a cross, James Ward-Prowse whips a surprise knuckleball shot towards the near post.

De Gea punches clear with ease.

Image source, Getty Images

Shane Long is more irritating than an athlete's foot fungus to opposition defences.

The Southampton striker has nipped at the heels of Victor Lindelof and won a free-kick in a prime position just on the left side of the United box...

There is the reason that Luke Shaw was the most expensive teenager in the world a few years back. The United left-back wraps his favoured peg around a delicious cross, sending the ball fizzing through the corridor of uncertainty in the Saints defence.

Marcus Rashford was not too far away from that one.

Marcus Rashford trots on in place of Romelu Lukaku.

Will he go up top? Yes, I think he will. It is a straight swap.

Play has been stopped for a good three or four minutes while the medical team look after Romelu Lukaku.

The Belgian is conscious, but, understandably, the doctor doesn't want to take any chances with a head or neck injury.

Gently he is loaded onto a stretched and departs to applause from both sets of players and fans.

Image source, Getty Images

Ouch!published at 9 mins

9 mins

Man Utd 0-0 Southampton

That was not pretty at all.

Romelu Lukaku goes up for a header with Wesley Hoedt and the two bash skulls, just as Lukaku wins the contest.

The Southampton defender is OK, but Lukaku is getting extensive treatment.

Marcus Rashford is warming up on the sidelines. No Zlatan Ibrahimovic on the bench remember.

Image source, Reuters

Just your usual run-of-the-mill brilliance from David de Gea.

The United offside trap is sprung as Sofiane Boufal gets in behind and his cut-back falls for James Ward-Prowse.

A slight deflection on his shot from 12 yards and De Gea flings himself left to tip away.

Super stop.

The first real attack and a gilt-edged chance for the hosts!

A raking crossfield ball from Paul Pogba is on a sixpence for Juan Mata out on the right wing. The Spaniard looks up and spoons a lovely lobbed cross into the box for Romelu Lukaku to attack.

He does, but a pulse of his neck muscles sends his header clear over the bar.

It was a good look though. Ominous for Saints.

Image source, AFP

As expected Manchester United have gone with Romelu Lukaku as a lone forward, with a trio of Henrikh Mkhitaryan., Jesse Lingard and Juan Mata in behind him.

It looks like Lingard is the most central of those three.

Southampton make a positive early start but Sofiane Boufal loses the ball down by the United corner flag.

First touch for Luke Shaw against his former club...

We are up and rolling.

With academy product, via Turin, Paul Pogba leading out the hosts as captain, the teams make their way out onto the pitch to the Stones Roses' This Is The One.

United will be hoping it is more than one point.

Old Trafford ram-jammed.

Kick-off comes next.

Image source, Getty Images

Manager Jose Mourinho on Romelu Lukaku, who has played every minute of Manchester United's 20 league games this season: "No, I can't (rest him). I see 20 matches in the Premier League, 90 minutes, I think for a striker, any player, it's absolutely incredible.

"Is he unlucky in our box in recent matches? (It was) not a direct influence on just him, but he was in the picture in some of the last goals we concede. Is it a consequence of a player that really needs a little rest? Or is this a consequence of just the occasion?

"The guy is fantastic for me and for the team and gives absolutely everything and I've no criticism."

Southampton manager Mauricio Pellegrino: "Manchester United are a powerful team, but we are in the moment that we have to think more about us and what we have to do on the pitch. This is our reality and can't talk about the other teams.

"Even for Manchester United it is difficult to win many games in a row because the Premier League is really competitive. Everybody is suffering this."

Gary Flintoff
BBC Radio 5 live at Old Trafford

They have just played ‘The End Of The World As We Know It’ by R.E.M. on the PA here at Old Trafford. There is no question that Manchester United are going through a sticky patch at moment - but I do not think things are that bad for Jose Mourinho and his men.

You can hear Manchester United v Southampton on BBC Radio 5 live from 17:30 GMT. It is also live here on the BBC Sport website and app.

Image source, Getty

Mauricio Pellegrino's side have won only one of their past 11 league games, and have scored only 12 goals in that spell, so the pressure is on him to improve things quickly. This is not the game for that to happen, though.

Prediction: 2-0

Lawro's full predictions v Olympic gold medallist Darren Campbell.

Think you can do better than Lawro? Predict the score for this match and the rest of this round's Premier League fixtures in our Predictor game

Simon Stone
BBC Sport at Old Trafford

Manchester United's administration staff were a bit too quick with the team sheets today.

The first one came out with the same team from the Boxing Day draw with Burnley.

They were quickly taken away and the correct ones brought out instead.

Image source, BBC Sport

Mark the date in your diaries - if you didn't have it already.

Manchester United's derby return against City at the Etihad is on 7 April.

And the Manchester Evening News, external have crunched the numbers to work out that if City come into that game with the same 15-point lead that they currently have over the rest now, anything other than defeat would give them the title.

Should City wrap up the title in the previous match - away to Everton - then United will asked whether they intend to do the customary guard of honour for the new champions.

Mourinho's Chelsea turned out at Stamford Bridge to welcome newly-crowned champions United in May 2007.

Image source, Getty Images

Simon Brotherton
Match of the Day commentator at Old Trafford

Failure to beat either Leicester or Burnley over the past week and a 15-point deficit to local rivals Manchester City has hardly left Jose Mourinho in a festive mood.

Instead, his Manchester United side will have to try to close the biggest gap ever between the teams in first and second place after 20 games of an English top-flight season.

Southampton have their own worries despite being flush with cash for the January sales after agreeing to sell Virgil van Dijk to Liverpool. How they spend that money will be key as they try to avoid being dragged into a relegation scrap.

Image source, Getty

Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored twice in this fixture last season, making it four goals in the Swede's first three games in a red shirt.

Look how tanned he is before 16 months in the United Kingdom took their toll.

He has one in seven though since making his comeback from a serious knee injury in November and was subbed off at half-time in his first start of the season against Burnley.

After being left out of today's matchday squad entirely and rumours that all is not rosy between him and Romelu Lukaku, external, might his short stint in English football be coming to an end rather sooner than we thought?