Manchester United face Crystal Palace in tonight’s EFL Cup clash and will face the Eagles again on Saturday.
Erik Ten Hag’s men will be aiming to kickstart their Carabao Cup defense on a strong note as they square off against fellow Premier League side Crystal Palace at Old Trafford.
United come into tonight’s fixture following a hard-fought 1-0 league victory last Saturday, thanks to Bruno Fernandes’ stunning volley against Burnley. In contrast, Roy Hodgson’s team enters this contest after a goalless draw with Fulham earlier in the day.
Although the victory at Turf Moor was far from vintage, it ended a three-game losing streak which had piled the pressure on head coach Erik ten Hag.
As the defending champions prepare to face Palace, United’s faithful hope to witness a stellar performance as they begin their journey to defend last year’s trophy.
On a more positive note, United’s upcoming four matches, spanning across all competitions, will all be played at Old Trafford. They will face Palace twice, followed by welcoming Galatasaray in the Champions League at the start of October and then hosting Brentford in the Premier League.
Who could feature?
For United, Sofyan Amrabat could make his full debut in midfield after coming off the bench for his first appearance in a United shirt against Burnley. Both Mason Mount and Harry Maguire have returned to training with the first team and are likely to feature.
Loanee Sergio Reguilon, who was substituted late against the Clarets due to illness, may also make an appearance, while Lisandro Martinez is vying for a role in tonight’s match. Altay Bayındır hopes to make his debut in goal.
Unfortunately, long-term absentees Luke Shaw, Tyrell Malacia and Amad remain unavailable, and Jadon Sancho and Antony are also unavailable.
As for the visitors, Marc Guehi made a comeback for Roy Hodgson’s troops during their 0-0 draw against Fulham on Saturday. However, they are still missing key players, including Michael Olise, James Tomkins, Jefferson Lerma and Matheus Franca.
Notably, Dean Henderson could make his debut against his former club!
Head-to-head record
The Mancunian giants have faced off against Palace on 63 occasions throughout history. Out of these encounters, the Red Devils have emerged victorious in a remarkable 40 matches, while both teams have settled for a draw 10 times.
Their most recent meeting in the League Cup took place in 2004 during the fourth round, with United winning 2-0, thanks to goals from Louis Saha and Kieran Richardson, which propelled them to the next stage of the competition.
Predicted Man United XI: Bayindir; Dalot, Lindelof, Maguire, Reguilon; McTominay, Amrabat, Eriksen; Pellistri, Martial, Garnacho
Doubts: Martinez
Injuries: Wan-Bissaka, Shaw, Mainoo, Malacia, Amad
Unavailable: Sancho, Antony
Time and date: 8pm, Tuesday 26 September, 2023
Venue: Old Trafford
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