Manchester United travel to basement side Sunderland on Sunday (1.30pm kick-off) needing a win to keep their hopes of a Premier League top four finish alive.

Jose Mourinho’s men could only muster a 1-1 draw at home to Everton on Tuesday to once again drop points at Old Trafford, with that being their ninth home draw of the campaign, and 12th overall in the league this term.

It means that they head into the Premier League weekend sixth in the table and four points behind neighbours Manchester City, although with a game in hand over Pep Guardiola’s men, Mourinho’s side know that they need to keep pace and then hope to take advantage later on in the campaign.

However, it won’t be easy against a Sunderland side who are in dire need of points to stay in the Premier League, given that they are ten points adrift of safety going into the weekend.

David Moyes, formerly manager of United, has led his side to just five victories this season, and with time running out, they have to take something from the game against his former employers on Sunday.

Nonetheless, United will go in as favourites, although Mourinho may make some changes to his side after back-to-back draws earlier in the week.

Thus, here are THREE Man United stars who deserve a chance against Sunderland…

Paul Pogba

Manchester United looked disjointed and were ultimately fortunate to salvage a point against Everton on Tuesday night.

Thus, Mourinho may call upon £89 million man Paul Pogba to inspire his side to victory at Sunderland on Sunday.

The France international picked up a hamstring issue against FC Rostov last month, and only returned to the side in the second half against the Toffees earlier this week.

However, although he has only netted four goals and laid on three assists for United this term, Pogba was certainly improving prior to injury, and you sense that the Red Devils might need that spark to get the three points on Sunday.

Henrikh Mkhitaryan

Henrikh Mkhitaryan was one of four United players to receive criticism from manager Mourinho following their 0-0 draw with West Brom last weekend, and was subsequently dropped against Everton in midweek.

However, there’s no doubting the Armenian’s quality in the final third, so you’d expect him to return to the starting line-up at the Stadium of Light.

The 28-year-old has scored seven goals in all competitions for United this term, and when you consider that he didn’t get much gametime in the first few months of the campaign, that’s not a bad return.

Nonetheless, Mourinho needs his frontmen to be more clinical in the final third, a message Mkhitaryan must surely have heeded ahead of Sunday’s clash in the North East.

Anthony Martial

Anthony Martial has struggled for much of this season, this all after a fine debut campaign under Louis van Gaal last time out which saw him net 17 goals in 49 games.

However, things haven’t quite clicked for him this time round, although for a player of his talent and quality, he’s going to get back into form at some stage, and that could happen against Sunderland on Sunday.

United have been goal-shy this season and hugely reliant on Zlatan Ibrahimovic to get the goals, so now it is time for others to step up and be counted, including Martial.

The criticism from last weekend’s draw may well spur the France international on to a man-of-the-match display at the Stadium of Light on Sunday.