Between today and tomorrow, the Premier League festive period fixture congestion will come to an end, finally. But that doesn’t mean we’ll see a lull in the schedule, and more days off for Manchester United, and other clubs.
They still have an insanely busy slate this month, and it continues next with the Red Devils commencing their FA Cup campaign, with a third round at home against local rival Everton.
Manchester United vs Everton (FA Cup 3rd Round) FYIs
Kickoff: Fri Jan 6, 8pm, Old Trafford
United Starting XI Prediction: go here
Transatlantic Passage: How the Premier League Redefined Soccer in America: LINK
Series History: Man United wins 91, Draws 47, Everton wins 71
Odds: United win 11/25, Draw 16/5, Everton win 6/1
Team News for Both Sides
The big news here is that Everton manager Frank Lampard could be nearing the sack, and that Wayne Rooney is the favorite to potentially replace him. We have more on that at this post.
Terms of player issues, there is still no timetable for the return of Jadon Sancho, and Donny van de Beek appears to have suffered a serious looking injury against AFC Bournemouth. Manager Erik ten Hag has said little about his status thus far, but he won’t be featuring in this clash.
Elsewhere, Antony looks likely to miss out again after having been absent from the win over Bournemouth. The good news is that Anthony Martial, who suffered an injury yesterday, will reportedly be fit to feature here.
Flipping over to the Toffees, Amadou Onana will be back after having finished serving his suspension, while Anthony Gordon is a doubt, due to an unspecified illness.
James Garner, Michael Keane and Andros Townsend and Nathan Patterson remain out for the Liverpool based club.
Paul M. Banks is the owner/manager of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He’s written for numerous publications, including the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. He regularly appears on NTD News and WGN News Now. Follow the website on Twitter and Instagram.