Take a deep breath. The World Cup is over and it’s back to normality with a thud. We’ve spoken to many Reds who are excited about the return of domestic football, but our return fixture isn’t exactly the most exotic. Manchester United take on Burnley at Old Trafford, in the Carabao Cup.
Right now though, that particular fixture does look a little more compelling than usual. Of course, it’s got a flavour of local rivalry, but Burnley’s free-scoring Championship form also means we’re likely to see a more open and attractive game this Wednesday night. Of course, we’ll also see the return of a long-term rival in the Clarets’ new manager, Vincent Kompany.
If Burnley come to play football and score goals, rather than play the more conservative brand of football that they were known for during their Premier League stint, then United’s attackers will also have more space and inclination to express themselves. There’s every chance this could be a game to remember. Here’s hoping for a memorable end-to-end cup tie and a United win.
Manchester United
United had a torrid time in Spain, losing both of their warm-up friendlies which were planned ahead of the domestic restart.
First, they lost 4-2 to Cadiz, who currently languish in 19th place in La Liga, before heading to Sevilla to succumb 1-0 to Real Betis.
There weren’t too many positives to take from the friendlies, but United did show off some fluid attacking football at times and plenty of young players got a chance to make a first senior appearance. Against Cadiz, academy graduate Kobie Mainoo scored United’s second goal. The first came from an Antony Martial penalty spot strike.
Of course, United will be able to field a stronger, more experienced team against Championship Burnley this Wednesday, but losses abroad will have done little for the confidence of featured players like Scott McTominay and Anthony Elanga.
Line-up
Of the two Reds involved in Sunday’s World Cup final, it was Lisandro Martinez’s Argentina that won out, of course. However we don’t expect to see him or Raphael Varane take any part in this League Cup fixture.
As England fans are all too aware, English internationals have had more of a break period and we can expect them to feature. Jadon Sancho didn’t travel with the England squad or to United’s friendlies, the latter omission was reportedly due to a lack of fitness.
It’s a little hard to predict who Ten Hag will select for this fixture, given the tension between regaining domestic form and offering non first team players Cup minutes. Ultimately, we don’t think Erik Ten Hag will field a heavily ‘weakened’ or inexperienced squad, given that the Carabao Cup may well be one of our only chances at silverware this season.
With that in mind, we expect a line-up that looks something like this.
The team listed above would no-doubt be stronger with Marcus Rashford and Casemiro, however Erik Ten Hag may want to conserve the energies of one or two key senior players, giving the upcoming match against Nottingham Forest on the 27th. We wouldn’t be surprised to see Alejandro Garnacho feature too, either from the bench or in the starting line-up.
Opposition
Burnley have found an amazing vein of form in the Championship this season, racking up 46 goals – 10 more than their closest rivals, Sheffield United. They’re sitting pretty at the top of the table with 47 points and will be chock full of confidence as they make the short journey from Burnley to Stretford.
But can they cause United problems?
The Clarets’ leading threats are top-scorers Jay Rodriguez (9 goals), Manuel Benson (7) and Nathan Tella (7). They’ve been in fine form and won four of their last five league games, though they did suffer a heavy 5-2 loss away at Bramall Lane.
That heavy loss will give United fans hope that Burnley’s more free-flowing game will produce vulnerabilities that the likes of Marcus Rashford and Bruno Fernandes can exploit.
While Harry Maguire certainly seemed to manage some sort of return to form at the World Cup, it remains to be seen whether he carries this into domestic competition. We think he’s likely to appear though and Burnley’s confident attacking football will no doubt see him tested.
Prediction
As United seek to regain some momentum after an unusual mid-season break, it would be a surprise to see the Reds at their free flowing best. Burnley’s season hasn’t seen the same interruptions and we’re expecting to see a competitive match as a result.
As a result, we think Wednesday evening’s fixture could end in a 1-1 draw and see United progress via a penalty shootout. (Remember, extra time has been scrapped in the Carabao Cup.)
Our team will be watching the game live, both at Old Trafford and at the Stretford Paddock Studio. You can join us for a live YouTube watch-along and tune in to the game live on Sky Sports, with coverage starting at 7.30PM.