Till a few rounds back, United were being tipped to finish among the top-five but fortunes fluctuated for the city challengers especially after their lopsided 2-5 loss to Churchill Brothers.
As things stand at the moment, United (35 points, 22 matches) would have to win their remaining matches and keep their fingers crossed if they are to finish in the top-five.
At the same time, the Arrows would also look for their first win when United are not at their best.
"Undoubtedly, United SC are a Champion side... Coach Sanjoy Sen's tactical acumen can never be doubted and they boast of quite a few quality players in Yusif Yakubu and Arnab Mondal," Arrow's goalkeeping coach Tanumoy Basu said.
"But we will go all out for a win. We got sufficient time to recover after our match against Pune FC. We have some options up our sleeve," he said, indicating that India's U-19 midfielders Pranoy Halder and Prabir Das are likely to be back in the squad.
United SC coach Sen would have the difficult task of regrouping his side after their demoralising loss to Churchill Brothers in their last encounter.
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"We need to stay cautious of the Arrows. They forced a draw against us in our last encounter. They haven't won matches, something that makes them all the more dangerous," Sen said.
"There's no room for further slip-ups. We need to display character and win all our remaining matches. We are desperate if we are to finish among the top-5. We need to be desperate too."