Manchester United will look to bounce back from their weekend disappointment, when they face off against Derby County in the Carabao Cup on Tuesday.
Manchester United will take on EFL Championship outfit Derby County in the third round of the Carabao Cup at Old Trafford, with Jose Mourinho set to lock horns with former ward Frank Lampard. The pair won this competition together twice during their time at Chelsea but now meet as managers of opposing teams.
Mourinho’s Red Devils come into the game on the back of a four-game unbeaten run, albeit the 1-1 draw against Wolverhampton Wanderers at the weekend at home left a bad taste and drew a lot of criticism. And they will be hoping to silence the critics with a strong performance against the Rams and progress further in the competition that Jose won in his first season at United.
Lampard has made a fine start to his managerial career with Derby County. Under the former Chelsea superstar, the Rams find themselves in the sixth spot in the Championship standings and have lost just once in their last seven outings across all competitions. Derby beat Oldham Athletic and Hull City convincingly in the previous rounds of the Carabao Cup and will be hoping to cause an upset at Old Trafford on Tuesday.
Team News & Tactics
Manchester United
Ander Herrera is fit again and will be available for selection, the manager has confirmed. Phil Jones too is back in contention, after recovering from his injury, while Nemanja Matic also returns to the fold, after sitting out the draw against Wolves due to suspension.
The only absentees for Manchester United are forward Marcus Rashford, who will be serving the last of his three-match suspension, and defender Marcos Rojo, who picked up another injury while playing for the reserves. There is unlikely to be any alteration in the shape of the team, but a lot of changes are on the cards for United.
Second-choice goalkeeper Sergio Romero is set to make his first appearance of the season, in place of mainstay David De Gea. Summer signing Diogo Dalot, who made a strong impression on his debut against BSC Young Boys last week, is set to start at right-back, while veteran Ashley Young should replace Luke Shaw on the opposite side of the backline.
The centre-back duo of Chris Smalling and Eric Bailly are likely to be given a breather as well, after having started four matches in a row, with Eric Bailly and Jones expected to take their places in the starting XI.
The fit-again Herrera could be in line for a start in the middle of the park for the Red Devils, while academy graduates Scott McTominay and Andreas Pereira should also get a chance to make an impression against the Rams in the midweek fixture.
Jose preferred not to start with Romelu Lukaku in the Carabao Cup last season, but with Rashford suspended, his hand will be forced to go in with the Belgian forward. Anthony Martial should slot in on the left-flank in place of Alexis Sanchez, after a couple of sprightly displays of late, while Juan Mata is set to replace Jesse Lingard on the opposite wing.
Probable Starting XI (4-3-3): Romero; Dalot, Bailly, Jones, Young; Herrera, Pereira, McTominay; Mata, Lukaku, Martial;
Derby County
Club captain Curtis Davies (hamstring) and midfielder George Evans (knee) are recovering from injuries and have returned to training this week. However, they will not be ready for the midweek encounter. Marcus Olsson remains a long-term absentee for Lampard’s side, while former Manchester United man Tom Lawrence will miss out due to suspension.
Lampard, in his first job as a manager, has preferred to use the 4-2-3-1 formation and is likely to stick with the same for his side’s trip to Old Trafford. However, there are likely to be a few changes to the side that beat Brentford 3-1 at the weekend.
Kelle Roos is set to start between the sticks for the Rams in place of first-choice goalkeeper Scott Carson. Former Liverpool defender Andre Wisdom could get a look-in at right-back in place of Jayden Bogle, while Scott Malone is likely to start on the left-side, ahead of first-team regular Craig Forsyth. The centre-back duo of Richard Keogh and Chelsea loanee Fikayo Tomori is expected to remain intact, however.
Veteran midfielder Tom Huddlestone should feature from the get-go as one of the two midfielders screening the back four, in place of Craig Bryson. He is likely to be paired up with the 31-year old Bradley Johnson. On-loan Chelsea midfielder Mason Mount will be in charge of the playmaking duties, starting in the No.10 position for the Rams.
Florian Jozefzoon could be in line for a start on the right-flank, while Liverpool loanee Harry Wilson, who scored in the win over Brentford, should keep his spot on the opposite side. David Nugent was on the scoresheet this past weekend, but summer signing Jack Marriott could get a look in at the tip of the attack, to provide more pace and urgency in the final third.
Probable Starting XI (4-2-3-1): Roos; Wisdom, Keogh, Tomori, Malone; Huddlestone, Johnson; Jozefzoon, Mount, Wilson; Marriott;
Key Stats
- Manchester United and Derby County have met in the League Cup twice before, with United winning both times, in the quarter-finals in 1970 and the semi-finals in 2009.
- Manchester United have won 14 of their past 15 League Cup third-round matches, losing only in 2007-08 against Coventry City at Old Trafford.
- Derby County have lost seven of their past eight visits to Old Trafford, with their only victory in this time coming in May 2001.
- In the Premier League era, three of the four teams to beat Manchester United at Old Trafford in the League Cup have been from outside the top-flight – York City in September 1995, Coventry City in September 2007 and Crystal Palace in November 2011.
- The Rams have been eliminated from six of their last seven League Cup ties against Premier League opposition, with their only win coming against Stoke City in the 2008-09 quarter-final.
Player to watch
Diogo Dalot (Manchester United)
The 19-year old’s signing raised a lot of eyebrows in the summer, considering that Manchester United had shelled out close to £20 million for a player who had just eight first-team appearances at Porto. But after a scintillating display on his debut last week, in a UEFA Champions League game no less, the general feeling is that the Red Devils might have found a long-term heir to the right-back slot.
The purpose and intent with which Dalot attacked, the crisp crosses that he delivered into the box and the way he beat his man with speed and strength down the touchline against BSC Young Boys last week left a solid impression on the manager and the fans alike. Expect a similar performance, filled with aggression and adventure against Derby on Tuesday night.
Prediction
Manchester United 2-1 Derby County
Mourinho’s men will be licking their wounds after a dull display against Wolves this past weekend and will be intent on coming back strongly on Tuesday night. Furthermore, with the Premier League title looking well beyond their reach, progression in the Carabao Cup will offer them a realistic chance of lifting silverware, which will add more motivation.
Derby have been brilliant under Lampard in the new season and come into the game on the back of some impressive results. They will fancy their chances against the Red Devils and will have a go at them at Old Trafford. Despite the chances of Mourinho rotating his players, this United squad have plenty of quality to see off any threat that the Championship outfit are likely to pose.