Manchester United against reigning champions Leicester was always going to be a big match. The two sides drew 1-1 twice last season and their first Premier League meeting this term provides a benchmark seven weeks after they met -- with United winning 2-1 -- in the Community Shield.
For a United side that has lost two straight league games, though, Saturday's match is even more important.
Jose Mourinho and Wayne Rooney were subjected to the most conjecture and criticism after last Sunday's defeat at Watford and they didn't enjoy the extent of it but, when United lose three games in a row, that's what happens.
The beginnings of discontent have been magnified, with United portrayed as a club in crisis and ABU -- "Anybody but United" -- rubberneckers devoutly hoping it's all true. It's not, though.
Mourinho remains popular among players and staff and also has the full support of the club. There will be no knee-jerk reactions but United know that, while Mourinho has softened his image so far, he will still complain and antagonise people -- just as Sir Alex Ferguson did.
The new manager is totally serious in his demeanour and work at the Carrington training complex. He wants to focus on the people he needs to work with, rather than be available to all. As he gets to grips with the magnitude of the role, the size of which has surprised him even after he worked for Barcelona and Real Madrid, already thinks that he sees too many people.
Mourinho's feeling that his job is far bigger than initially anticipated is exactly what his predecessors David Moyes and Louis van Gaal expressed in private during their first months in charge.
But United's players genuinely enjoy training under Mourinho and his staff, which helps the manager's case immensely following the unpopular Van Gaal regime. Sure, not all players agree with his methods and decisions all of the time, but then which boss does enjoy unconditional support? A dressing room is usually about majorities and minorities and a manager never loses everyone; he loses individuals, groups and, at worst, a majority.
For all the nostalgic talk of how Ferguson would have dealt with the current difficult situation, there were many, many occasions when he fell out with his players. He could be vicious with a player on Monday and polite to him on Tuesday. Sometimes the stories leaked into the press but, mostly, they did not.
There are a couple of strands of thought among players about United's current problems. One is that the team are yet to play like a team; that the sum of the parts is less than what it could be, but that the talent will shine through in time and better results will follow.
There has also been surprise that Michael Carrick, who scored and played well in his first start of the season at Northampton on Wednesday, has featured so little. The 35-year-old isn't the future but he might be able to help more in the present and Paul Scholes isn't the only person, who thinks Carrick could be a perfect foil for the freer roaming Paul Pogba.
Meanwhile, as Rooney struggles for form amid another storm of criticism, he still remains very popular among his teammates and those players have come together this week to try and foster a siege mentality to prove critics wrong.
The lack of a settled system is also causing confusion. Several players think they would be best deployed in their favoured positions or could be utilised in a more effective manner. They are entitled to their opinion, but they don't pick the team. It's the same at any club but United are of a higher profile than almost all of the rest. On Mourinho's part, he still thinks players are showing the after-effects of two years under Van Gaal's rigorous system.
There are other, less pressing issues. Memphis Depay started for the first time this season at Northampton and has been working especially hard in training. He's determined to make it at United but that doesn't mean he will succeed, nor that his lifestyle choices have always impressed in Manchester.
On several occasions since his signing in July 2014, wiser, more experienced players have advised Depay on how to be a better professional. Being known for having the flashiest car at the club is not a positive, especially when you're seldom in the first team. The Dutchman does appear to be listening to those he respects and looked lively as a substitute at Feyenoord.
There were also encouraging signs at Northampton, but Depay should be judged by his showing against much better opposition. It would be a surprise if he started against Leicester, as it would be if Rooney was dropped as Mourinho seeks to show that he, and not the media or fans, calls the shots.
Mourinho has to keep a balance. When he started with four straight wins, optimism surged among fans who wanted to believe that United were back after three below par seasons. Recent defeats knocked confidence, especially given Manchester City are winning and playing so well. At least United will get another chance to defeat their crosstown rivals after the pair were drawn together in the next round of the EFL Cup.
Saturday is a big day in Manchester. That evening in the city, United-supporting Mancunian boxer Anthony Crolla, a regular attendee at home and away games, fights to retain his WBA world lightweight title against Venezuelan Jorge Linares.
Many of the United players will be ringside and will hopefully in a good mood, having won their first league game of a September, in which the club has punched well below its weight.
Andy Mitten is a freelance writer and the founder and editor of United We Stand. Follow him on Twitter @AndyMitten.
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