Saint-Etienne are one of France’s most successful clubs - no team has won more French titles than Les Verts.

But victory in the 2013 Coupe de la Ligue was their first trophy in 32 years, and remains their last piece of silverware since the league title in 1981. Hard times befell the club in the intervening period, but progress over the past eight years - since manager Christophe Galtier arrived at the club in 2009 - has been slow and steady, pushing for Champions League places and becoming a regular fixture in the Europa League.

Fans of the Premier League may not give France’s most successful club much of a chance this week against Manchester United, but after a tough start to the season, Galtier’s men have hit some form of late, winning four of their last five Ligue 1 games, losing only to high-flying Nice. Last weekend’s 4-0 victory at home to Lorient showed that they’ve started to hit a vein of attacking form - ominous for a side known more as a solid defensive unit than an attacking threat.

Given their solid defence, you’d expect St Etienne to sit deep into a well-organised two banks of four defensive line and hope to catch Man United on a break or work a set-piece. They aren't a high-scoring side, but only PSG have conceded fewer goals in Ligue 1 this season, so they'll be perfectly placed to frustrate and knick an away goal.

Here are THREE danger men who can punish United if they get the chance.

Romain Hamouma

Hamouma is St Etienne’s greatest attacking threat. Although normally a winger, Galtier has taken to using him as a central striker at times this season as Les Verts have struggled for goals.

He can be inconsistent, but he is skillful and provides a penetrative edge, either cutting in from the right or playing as a dynamic central striker, so Jose Mourinho and his men will have to be wary of the Frenchman on the counter attack.

Kevin Monnet-Paquet

Signed from Lorient in 2014, Kevin Monnet-Paquet perhaps took a while to settle to life at the Geoffroy-Guichard.

But in the build-up to what is probably St Etienne’s biggest game in decades, it’s fair to say that Monnet-Paquet is hitting top form. Linking up nicely with the powerful Florentin Pogba down the left wing, they may look to isolate the full-back, especially if Antonio Valencia - who is not a natural defender - is caught too far upfield. Man United should fear the form.

Loic Perrin

It may be odd to pinpoint the lynchpin of St Etienne’s defence as one of their danger men, but Loic Perrin is more than just a centre-back. If any player in world football can be considered ‘captain, leader, legend’ of his club, it’s Perrin.

It may be up to the defender to make sure his rearguard is organised and keep Zlatan Ibrahimovic and co at bay, but he can so often be his side’s talisman: popping up with a goal from a set-piece is a regular occurrence for Perrin.