Manchester derby January 2026 rescheduled

The Manchester derby at Old Trafford remains one of the key markers of any Manchester United season, a fixture for bragging rights over they’re biggest rivals.

Recent meetings with Manchester City have gone both ways under Ruben Amorim, with City winning their first meeting this season 3-0, as United went undefeated in both of the Premier League fixtures last campaign.

However, United’s improvement at home this season has made the next derby even more significant, particularly with Old Trafford regaining some of its old edge in big games.

As such, the clash with Pep Guardiola’s side is already being viewed as a major checkpoint in the campaign.

That said, Amorim may have to navigate it without several important players.

Bryan Mbeumo, Amad Diallo and Noussair Mazraoui are all expected to be called up for the Africa Cup of Nations, potentially stripping United of two right-sided attackers and their key back-up defender at a crucial point in the calendar.

With the trio potentially away from The Red Devils from early December to mid-January, concerns have already been raised about how exposed United’s right flank could become over the winter months, leading up to the derby.

However, The Sun has now reported that the Old Trafford derby has been moved in the latest batch of television broadcast confirmations.

Manchester United’s home meeting with City will now kick off at 12:30pm on Saturday 17 January, live on Sky Sports, turning it into the lunchtime focus of the weekend.

That selection means Manchester United will feature on Sky Sports for three consecutive weekends across the end of January and the start of February.

The club’s trip to Arsenal has been confirmed for a 4:30pm kick-off on Sunday 25 January at the Emirates Stadium, before the Red Devils return to Old Trafford to host Fulham at 2pm on Sunday 1 February, also live on Sky.

Across the rest of the fixture list, Sky and TNT Sports have split several other headline games.

For United, the earlier derby and the high-profile trips that follow underline how heavily scrutinised Amorim’s squad will be as the season moves through a decisive winter stretch, particularly if those AFCON absences materialise.