Antony is part of what the media are calling the Manchester United “Bomb Squad.” It’s a group of five players still contracted to the club, but they have no future there. Manager Ruben Amorim has no plans to include any of them, and joining Antony in this group are Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho, Alejandro Garnacho and Tyrell Malacia.
None will of this quintet will feature in the match at Fulham FC on Sunday. Rasmus Hojlund could likely miss out as well, but his situation is quite different. We’ll cover all of them here.
Fulham FC vs Manchester United FYIs
Kickoff: Sunday August 24, 4:30pm, Craven Cottage, London, UK
Latest on the Bomb Squad: Jadon Sancho Alejandro Garnacho
United Preview Material: Team News Starting XI Prediction
Strongest Possible United Starting XI When Everyone’s Available: go here
Google Result Probabilities: Fulham FC win 28% Draw 27% Manchester United win 45%
PL Standing, Form: Fulham FC 9th, 1 pt, D Manchester United 15th, 0 pts, L
Man United Team News
Antony thrived during his time out on loan at Real Betis last season, and he is wanted back there. Heading back to the La Liga side, maybe on a loan-to-buy situation, or just a straight sale, would make sense for all involved and be good for everyone.
Betis boss Manuel Pellegrini confirmed this. “I’ve not spoken with Antony,” Pellegrini told the media earlier today.
“We all know that he was very good here, we want him with us, and Antony wants to return no doubt. But we also need the owner, which is Manchester United, to make a decision.”
It sounds like the two clubs are haggling over price. With Sancho, he is just making the challenge of moving him on all the more difficult. Ditto for Garnacho.
As for Hojlund, he watched from the stands in week one, and he could be left out of the squad entirely, once again here, as he’s fallen down the pecking order at his position.
AC Milan have expressed interest in him, although now, Napoli have emerged as a potential contender.
Shifting gears to the injury absentees, we have only two, Noussair Mazraoui and Lisandro Martinez.
Neither are expected to return for this one.
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor 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 currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, the Washington Post and ESPN. You can follow him on Linked In and Twitter
Let’s start with Antony, who thrived while