Hello everyone. Welcome to our coverage of what promises to be an entertaining affair at Old Trafford. First thing’s first – let’s get you the lineups.

Man Utd XI: De Gea, Jones, McNair, Evans, Valencia, Carrick, Rooney, Mata, Young, van Persie, Falcao.

Newcastle XI: Alnwick, Coloccini, Sissoko, Anita, Gouffran, Colback, Perez, Janmaat, Taylor, Armstrong, Dummett.

So, Paddy McNair makes his 6th start of the season for Louis van Gaal’s side. In his last start though, he was hooked before half-time against Southampton. He’ll be hoping for better today.

Elsewhere, no Angel di Maria in the squad – he’s still suffering from injury. Falcao is included from the start once again.

For Newcastle, it’s a first Premier League start for 19 year-old Adam Armstrong – he’ll start in attack. Vernon Anita comes in to replace the suspended Cheick Tiote.

So it would appear that Di Maria either aggravated his hamstring injury or picked up a new one. He did come on in the second-half against Villa but there were some whispers this morning that he had picked up another knock.

Falcao is up for it. Ominously for Newcastle, he normally does well when he starts.

Teams are in the tunnel, folks. Here we go…

Predictions, guys? I’m saying United to win. Falcao to get on the mark. Doubt they’ll keep a clean sheet though.

By the way, Andreas Pereira is on the bench for United – an 18 year-old Belgian. He featured in their embarrassing 4-0 defeat to MK Dons in the League Cup earlier this season.

AND WE’RE UNDERWAY!

CLOSE! Mata dinks in a lovely ball into the area for Rooney to run onto, his header forces Alnwick into an early save but it’s called back for offside. Good early link-up though.

United, as expected, playing with 3 centre-backs, by the way. In case you’re wondering.

Good start by United. Evans pushing very high and into midfield. He sent in a dangerous cross a few moments ago. Newcastle allowing the home side a lot of space in the middle – not pressing. United looking to exploit gaps and with Rooney and Mata, you’d fancy their chances.

Falcao pops up and drives towards the touchline. He gets the cross in but Newcastle deal with it. The Magpies get turned around on the counter attack with Sissoko and Perez combining but it comes to nothing.

VERY CLOSE! At one end, Perez completely misses the ball as it’s pulled back to him and then straight up the other end, Falcao is just about to get on the end of a cross from the left but a deft touch from a Newcastle player deflects it just wide.

PENALTY CLAIM! Juan Mata is fortunate here. He catches Gouffran as he’s racing back into his area to help the United defence. He’s looking at the ball but does bring down the Frenchman. I think that was a pen, to be honest.     

CLOSE! Van Persie makes a darting run into the left channel of the area and Alnwick races out to close him down. The striker jinks wide of the keeper but can’t steer the ball to the net. That’s a bad miss.

CLOSE! Another great save from De Gea. Janmaat fires one in from distance after Young isn’t strong enough in the challenge. Well-struck shot, flying towards the top corner. Big Dave tips it over.

Ashley Young cuts inside from the left wing and whips in a dangerous cross. But Van Persie never seems properly set up for it and can only flick the header towards the far post. It’s well wide.

ROONEY! United are in front! A splendid counter attack as Mata breaks clear. Falcao peels to the far post, the Spaniard picks him out but the striker turns the ball back inside for the advancing and unmarked Rooney to slide home from close range. Swift, ruthless. A goal we’d come to expect from a Fergie-led United.

CLOSE! United almost have a second with Falcao getting on the end of Young’s delicious in-swinging cross. The Colombian’s header is just wide.

So, United take the lead through this goal from Wayne Rooney. He absolutely LOVES playing against Newcastle.

Some interesting decisions from Mike Jones so far. Here’s another. Free kick in a dangerous position for Newcastle.

And Phil Jones does brilliantly to flick away a header at the far post from Colback’s excellent delivery. United have done well so far. Newcastle struggling to find a rhythm.

ROONEY! And that’s 2-0. Mata is the creator but credit to Falcao once more. He wins the ball back in the final third before slipping it to the Spaniard. Rooney’s late run from deep bamboozles the Newcastle defence again and he takes it first time and sweeps it to the net. Lovely, lovely goal (again).

United in control here – five minutes to go until the interval. Here’s Rooney’s second. Well-taken.

And that’s it for the first half. United very comfortable here. Rooney’s second was a killer blow for Newcastle who had hinted at something just prior to it. Instead, they’ve got a long way back. Imperative for United not to lose focus and concede early in the second but the defence has been largely untroubled while they’ve looked ferocious on the counter attack.

Strategy seems to be working…

AND WE’RE BACK! Second half underway and it’s absolutely lashing at Old Trafford.

A bit messy from United at the back. McNair’s back-pass skews off his boot and De Gea scampers to reach it before creeping over the touchline but can’t quite stretch far enough. From the delivery, Falcao mis-kicks in the area but United are able to clear eventually.

No changes for either team at the break, by the way. Rooney on a hat-trick, remember.

VAN PERSIE! And that’s 3-0. So much space for United in midfield again with Mata offloading to Rooney. He looks up, clips a cross towards the far post and Van Persie evades Taylor to drop his header to the far corner. Easy.

Young does what he’s been doing all day and whips in a delightful cross from the left side. Falcao is in there but can’t quite get a touch. Van Persie can’t knock it home either. Newcastle falling apart a bit here.

CLOSE! Close to one back for the guests as the teenager Armstrong chests down in the area and blasts towards goal. He doesn’t miss by much. It followed a Newcastle free-kick after McNair brought down the young striker on the right side.

CLOSE! The hosts are enjoying themselves here. Mata feeds van Persie who feeds Falcao who feeds Rooney but his left-footed strike is straight at Alnwick, though the keeper can’t hold it. Newcastle get the loose ball clear though.

Steven Taylor brings down Mata right on the edge of the area and this is a great position. Rooney for the hat-trick?

Close from Rooney! He’s loving it out there. So much space to work within. He seems certain to get the hat-trick. If he doesn’t, a big opportunity missed.

Lots of touchline activity in the last few minutes. Carrick has been replaced by Darren Fletcher  and James Wilson is in for Falcao. Meanwhile, Cabella and Cisse have been introduced for Newcastle.

Pretty wild from van Persie who goes in late on his compatriot Janmaat. It’s silly considering the greasy surface and the striker knew about 2/3 seconds in advance that it was a bad one, offering up his hand in advance of the probable booking.

Here’s the RVP goal. The space Newcastle have allowed in midfield has been criminal all afternoon.

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Rooney goes in on Cabella – mistimes the challenge ever so slightly. Cabella roars out in agony, tumbles to the ground and United’s skipper isn’t too happy. Funnily enough, Cabella is up and running about 5 seconds later.

CLOSE! The ball drops invitingly for van Persie in the area but he completely mis-kicks while trying to take it on the volley. It was on his weaker right side but still…At the other end, De Gea gets down at his near post to block with his legs after Perez squirmed away from McNair and fired in a low shot.

United make their final change and Rafael comes in to take over from Valencia as the team’s right wing-back.

CLOSE! That’s a really good chance for Steven Taylor but he sends a bullet header from close range over the top of De Gea’s crossbar. He had a decent run at the delivery and got up well. He’ll be disappointed with that.

As a couple of people have pointed out, Paddy McNair’s impressive stat continues. He’s started 6 games now and United have won them all. A good luck charm? He’s done well today, considering the embarrassment of what happened him at Southampton.

Really, really clumsy from Phil Jones. He dangles a leg as Colback runs at him on the left side of the area and the midfielder hits the deck. Referee Mike Jones points to the spot…

CISSE! No mistake from the penalty and Newcastle do register here. And that will definitely get under the skin of a certain Dutchman…

Newcastle finally spring to life and begin to stroke some passes around. A little bit late for that, in fairness.

Just over a minute left. Commanding performance from United and their unbeaten run continues. They’ll remain in 3rd spot and go seven points behind Man City, ten behind leaders Chelsea.

Peep-peep! And that’s it from Old Trafford. The game really fizzled out after Van Persie added United’s third and perhaps Van Gaal won’t have enjoyed the way his team failed to add to their tally, considering the space they were afforded by the visitors. He’ll certainly be disappointed with not holding onto a clean-sheet and Phil Jones will probably hear plenty about his dangling leg that brought down Jack Colback.

All in all, impressive from United with Rooney, Falcao, Mata and Van Persie all doing well. Plenty of motivation as they prepare for a game against Spurs on Sunday.

Thanks for staying with us. There’ll be plenty more reaction on the site throughout the evening.