SINGAPORE - Manchester United face Liverpool in a crunch English Premier League (EPL) for both sides, as they vie for a top-four finish and a place in next season's Champions League.

As talk swirled on whether Man United should deploy record signing Angel di Maria or Spanish playmaker Juan Mata, former Red Devils striker Andrew Cole believes that the latter should start in the Anfield clash.

"Mata deserves the chance surely. Di Maria doesn't seem to have the confidence right now and it affects your game when you lack confidence," said the Man United global ambassador, who is town for a publicity visit for electronic and furniture retailer Courts.

"If anyone is going to produce a telling pass from the crucial areas, then it is going to be Mata. Mata can be our trump card."

Cole also felt the match will not be a defining one in the race for the top four.

He said: "Far from it. There are too many games to go in the season, for us to be calling it a season defining match. Psychologically, yes it will give the winner a big boost but I don't think this match will decide who will finish in the top four."

The forward hoped that Manchester United manager Louis Van Gaal would name an unchanged starting XI from the side that won 3-0 against Tottenham Hotspur in their last league outing.

He said : " We were incredible against Tottenham. That was the best performance of the season. So yeah, they should set up similarly to how they did against Spurs.

"The way the team played last week, I don't see why you would want to change anything from it."