Manchester United will rub shoulders with Aston Villa as they travel to the Midlands on Sunday.
Villa have had an erratic season as they have failed to do justice to the potential they showed earlier in the season. Despite the odds, Dean Smith’s side has managed to hold a place in the top half of the table and will definitely fancy their chances against the Red Devils.
On the other hand, Ole Gunnar Solskjær has been on a roller coaster ride and has booked a place in his first final as United shrugged off the challenges of a highly spirited AS Roma in the UEFA Europa League earlier in the week. They have shown sparks of brilliance this season and could well pose a serious threat to Villa’s high ambitions.
Villa narrowly survived a relegation scare last season but showed rapid signs of improvement as they pumped in 7 goals past a hapless Liverpool in the early stages of this season.
With the Premier League title slipping away from their grasp, it’s now or never for United who cannot just hold back tight. They have already proved their mettle this season and with Manchester City facing Chelsea, Solskjær will have to propel his side to victory.
There are a number of concerns for Villa as Trézéguet and Morgan Sanson are likely to miss out on this game. The unavailability of Jack Grealish has already piled pressure on the Villa gaffer who otherwise has a strong squad to choose from.
Predicted Lineup – Emiliano Martínez (GK); Matty Cash, Ezri Konsa, Tyrone Mings, Matt Targett; Douglas Luiz, John McGinn; Bertrand Traoré, Ross Barkley, Anwar El Ghazi; Ollie Watkins
Solskjær has been quite lucky when it comes to injuries in recent times. Anthony Martial is set to return early from his long-term injury but will need time to get back to match fitness. Daniel James and Phil Jones remain on the sidelines, so the United boss might bring in some changes to protect his squad from a hectic five-day period in which they’ll be playing thrice.
Predicted Lineup – Dean Henderson (GK); Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Victor Lindelöf, Harry Maguire, Luke Shaw; Fred, Scott McTominay; Marcus Rashford, Bruno Fernandes, Paul Pogba; Edinson Cavani
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