TEAM NEWS
Hull manager Steve Bruce could field the same starting line-up for the fourth Premier League match in a row on Boxing Day.
Robbie Brady is unlikely to overcome a groin problem in time for the game.
Manchester United forward Danny Welbeck is a fitness doubt after suffering a blow to his knee against West Ham at the weekend.
Michael Carrick and Robin van Persie are expected to miss out with respective Achilles and thigh injuries.
MATCH PREVIEW
Hull City have the best home record in the bottom half of the Premier League this season. In fact, only Stoke plus the top five in the table have won more home points than The Tigers (only EVER a nickname, in my opinion).
Impressive stuff, but it does come with a caveat. Seven of the eight teams to have visited the KC Stadium this season are currently bottom-half teams themselves, with the toughest tests still to come for Steve Bruce's side.
They passed their first really big one superbly by beating Liverpool 3-1 at the start of the month, but that is Hull's only win in their last seven games - and they might just be facing Manchester United at the wrong time.
United gave arguably their most accomplished performance of the season in dismissing West Ham on Saturday, and are showing signs of getting used to David Moyes - and he to the club.
A fifth successive win in all competitions would be the best run yet under the new manager.
What's curious about that is that it's being done without Robin van Persie playing or Wayne Rooney scoring! Rooney's gone four games without a goal but seems to be revelling in creating chances for others, and if he plays at the KC Stadium then Hull have a ghost of Christmas present and past to deal with.
In United's last visit - a day out of being four years ago exactly - Rooney scored and made the other two in a 3-1 win. Just for good measure he was also to blame in the build up to the penalty that Hull scored. Oh yes, he then got all the goals at Old Trafford when Hull were beaten 4-0 in the return trip a month later!
He's still one goal away from following Thierry Henry as only the second player to score 150 goals for a single Premier League club. Is Boxing Day the day?
MATCH FACTS
Head-to-head
Manchester United have won their last seven league and cup games against Hull, including the four previous Premier League meetings.
Hull's last win against United was a 2-0 home victory in a Division Two match on 23 November 1974.
Hull City
The Tigers have conceded only three league goals at home - the best record in the top flight.
They have won one of their last seven league games (D3, L3).
Their only previous Premier League game on 26 December was a 5-1 defeat at Manchester City in 2008, when then-manager Phil Brown gave his half-time team talk on the pitch.
Manchester United
The Red Devils have won 16 of the last 17 games they have played on 26 December. The only exception is a 3-1 defeat at Middlesbrough in 2002.
Victory would give them five successive wins in league and cup for the first time under David Moyes. The last time they won five matches in a row was in October 2012.
The reigning champions are unbeaten in their last nine away games in league and cup (W5, D4). Their last defeat on the road was the 4-1 loss at Manchester City on 22 September.
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