Manchester United will aim to reach the fourth round of the EFL Cup when they welcome Crystal Palace to Old Trafford on Tuesday.
The EFL Cup resumes this midweek with the third round, with some eye-catching fixtures on the cards. Tuesday’s marquee fixture will take place at Old Trafford, where Manchester United will host Crystal Palace, with a spot in the fourth round up for grabs.
Manchester United would have hoped for a better start to Erik ten Hag’s second season at the club. The Red Devils were impressive in the 2022/23 campaign, winning the EFL Cup while finishing third in the Premier League. But they have lost four of their seven games thus far this term, although they returned to winning ways this past weekend, beating Burnley 1-0 at Turf Moor.
As for Crystal Palace, they are only a point and one place behind Manchester United in the Premier League table. The Eagles have won two, drawn two, and lost two of their six top-flight fixtures thus far. Meanwhile, they have already been in action in the EFL Cup, coming from two goals down to beat Plymouth Argyle 4-2 in the second round.
Manchester United and Crystal Palace clashed twice last season, with the Red Devils winning the home leg 2-1, while the fixture at Selhurst Park ended in a 1-1 stalemate. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
Manchester United
Pushing the pace ⏩#MUFC pic.twitter.com/uJgre2oreV
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) September 25, 2023
Erik ten Hag is finally greeting positive updates on the team news front, which continues to be the case this week. But against Crystal Palace on Tuesday, the Manchester United manager will still be bereft of the services of eight first-team players.
Harry Maguire (knock) and Mason Mount (hamstring) have stepped up their recoveries and should be available to take on Crystal Palace. In addition, Lisandro Martinez (foot) will likely return to action this week.
But Luke Shaw (muscle injury), Aaron Wan-Bissaka (hamstring), Tyrell Malacia (knee), Kobbie Mainoo (ankle), and Amad Diallo (knee) remain in the treatment room. Meanwhile, Antony and Jadon Sancho are unavailable due to their respective off-field issues.
Tuesday’s game should see a debut, with Altay Bayindir appearing in a Manchester United shirt for the first time. The Red Devils will line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation in front of the Turkish goalkeeper. But the defensive unit should remain unchanged unless Maguire is fully fit.
So, Victor Lindelof and Jonny Evans, fresh off an impressive performance against Burnley, will form the central defensive partnership. Diogo Dalot and Sergio Reguilon are the only fit full-backs at Manchester United. The duo will thus continue on the flanks.
As for the midfield unit, Sofyan Amrabat will make his first start for Manchester United, with Christian Eriksen likely joining him in the double pivot. But the tireless Bruno Fernandes should retain his spot in the final third, although the rest of the offensive unit should change. Alejandro Garnacho and Facundo Pellistri will be the two wingers, with Anthony Martial leading the line for Manchester United against Burnley.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Bayindir; Dalot, Lindelof, Evans, Reguilon; Amrabat, Eriksen; Pellistri, Bruno Fernandes, Garnacho; Martial
Crystal Palace
Like his counterpart in the Manchester United dugout, Roy Hodgson has pressing concerns hampering his preparations ahead of the trip to Old Trafford. The Crystal Palace manager might be without six first-team players on Tuesday.
Hodgson has exclaimed ahead of the game that he does not have enough players to attack the game. Odsonne Edouard (hamstring) is the latest absentee, joining James Tomkins (knock), Naouirou Ahamada (ankle), Jefferson Lerma (thigh), Matheus Franca (back), and Michael Olise (thigh) on the sidelines.
Roy Hodgson: "I can't attack the Carabao Cup as I intended to do because I don't have any players! I'm worried about Edouard's hamstring. At the moment when I find out a player is out for three weeks, I'm relieved it's not three months." #CPFC
— Gary Taphouse (@garytaphouse) September 23, 2023
Edouard’s absence means Jean-Philippe Mateta is the automatic pick to spearhead the Crystal Palace attack against Manchester United. But there is some scope for rotation, with Jesurun Rak-Sakyi likely joining Eberechi Eze and Jeffrey Schlupp in the offensive unit.
Meanwhile, Jairo Riedewald will come into the double pivot in the middle of the park, affording some rest to Cheick Doucoure. The Dutchman will join Will Hughes in the midfield unit, with the duo aiming to keep things tight in the centre of the pitch.
As for the defensive unit, Rob Holding should come into the starting eleven. The former Arsenal defender should join Chris Richards in the central defensive partnership. Meanwhile, Tyrick Mitchell and Nathaniel Clyne will be the two full-backs. Finally, Dean Henderson should take his spot between the sticks against his former club, Manchester United.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Henderson; Clyne, Richards, Holding, Mitchell; Riedewald, Hughes; Rak-Sakyi, Eze, Schlupp; Mateta
Key Stats
- Manchester United ended a three-game losing streak at Burnley on Saturday night as Bruno Fernandes’s first-half goal proved the difference at Turf Moor.
- Crystal Palace played out a 0-0 draw at Fulham on Saturday, and the Eagles have now failed to win back-to-back matches. They have also lost on back-to-back trips to Old Trafford.
- Crystal Palace have failed to score in five of their last seven EFL Cup matches, although have scored six goals across the other two (2-0 v Oxford United, 4-2 v Plymouth Argyle). Tuesday will be their sixth consecutive match away from home in the competition.
- Crystal Palace knocked out the holders of the League Cup the last two times they faced them, beating Aston Villa 4-1 in 1994/95, and Leicester City 3-0 in 2000/01.
- Marcus Rashford was involved in eight goals in his six League Cup appearances last season (6 goals, 2 assists), scoring the second goal in their 2-0 final victory against Newcastle United. His 14 goals in the competition overall is the third most in Manchester United history, behind Brian McClair (19) and Mark Hughes (16).
Player to Watch
Sofyan Amrabat
Manchester United had a hectic Deadline Day during the summer transfer window, with the marquee signing being Sofyan Amrabat. But the Moroccan international had to wait until this past weekend to make his Manchester United debut, as he was recovering from a back injury.
With the 27-year-old now fit and available, Erik ten Hag might heave a huge sigh of relief, considering his team’s midfield frailties this season. Amrabat will add steel to the Manchester United midfield. And the EFL Cup clash with Crystal Palace will give him the opportunity to settle down quickly before getting into the grind of Premier League football.
Prediction
Manchester United 2-1 Crystal Palace
With Erik ten Hag likely embarking on a rare tinker job as the Manchester United boss, Crystal Palace will have an opportunity to clinch a rare victory at Old Trafford. Even though Roy Hodgson has lamented a drop in quality due to the brewing injury crisis, his team should run Manchester United close.
However, the home side will have a strong bench, which should seal the deal in the second half. So, The Hard Tackle predicts a closely-contested contest, with the scales tipping in Manchester United’s favour in the second half due to the star players appearing off the bench.
