Front two remain out as Mata-to-United speculation grows

Wayne Rooney and Robin van Persie are again missing as Manchester United looked to overturn a 2-1 first-leg deficit and book a Capital One Cup final place by beating Sunderland at Old Trafford.

With speculation intensifying that a fee had been agreed with Chelsea for Juan Mata, it has been left to Javier Hernandez, Danny Welbeck, Adnan Januzaj and Shinji Kagawa to provide the attacking thrust for the Red Devils, who know Manchester City are waiting at Wembley if they can qualify.

Sunderland new boys Santiago Vergini and Oscar Ustari are both named on the bench by Gustavo Poyet, who has Steven Fletcher back along with Jack Colback.

Man Utd: De Gea, Rafael Da Silva, Smalling, Evans, Buttner, Fletcher, Carrick, Januzaj, Kagawa, Welbeck, Hernandez.

Subs: Evra, Jones, Giggs, Lindegaard, Young, Cleverley, Valencia.

Sunderland: Mannone, Bardsley, O’Shea, Brown, Alonso, Cattermole, Johnson, Ki, Colback, Borini, Fletcher.

Subs: Ustari, Vergini, Larsson, Gardner, Celustka, Altidore, Giaccherini.

Referee: Lee Mason (Lancashire).