Manchester United are, for all intents and purposes, already through to the UEFA Europa League round of 16, so Thursday night’s clash is just a mere formality.
United will welcome Real Sociedad to Old Trafford in midweek, having already thrashed them 4-0 last week and thus ended their hex against Spanish opposition. Now the Red Devils will look to get a home win over a team from Spain for the first time since 2013-14, when it was also Sociedad; in that season’s UEFA Champions League competition.
Manchester United vs Real Sociedad UEL Round of 32 FYIs
Kickoff: Thur. Feb 25, 8pm, Old Trafford
Status: Leg 2/2, United Leads 4-0 on aggregate
United starting XI Prediction: go here
Key Stat: United have won just one of their last 9 home matches against Spanish opponents (D4L4)
Fun Fact: David Moyes, now riding high again with West Ham United, managed both of these clubs, but didn’t last a full year with either
United Team News
Midfielder Donny van de Beek is having a rough first season at Old Trafford. He’s struggled to find playing time, and now that we have fixtures on the schedule where he would feature, he’s hurt. He’s a doubt for this one, as is striker Edinson Cavani and midfielder Scott McTominay, who missed the Sunday win over Newcastle.
Cavani also missed that clash, in addition to the Sociedad reverse fixture.
“Donny, Edinson and Scott, maybe available, not sure, I hope [so],” Solskjaer said.
“To build momentum, to go on the pitch and feel you’re playing well is important. We’ve had a couple of setbacks, West Brom and Sheffield United, two setbacks there but we can look back at them and see why we didn’t get points we deserved, but that’s not what I want to do.
“The boys are really focused, good at recovering mentally and physically, it’s not easy. We played Thursday night and came back here and that’s why we maybe needed 45 minutes to get going.”
Elsewhere Paul Pogba (thigh injury) has been ruled out until March. Phil Jones is still on the team, believe or not, but he hasn’t featured in almost 13 months and remains out injured for this one.
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank, partnered with News Now. Banks, the author of “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry,” has regularly appeared in WGN, Sports Illustrated, Chicago Tribune and SB Nation. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram.