Manchester United have no shortage of absentees when they visit Aston Villa on Sunday. Brazilian midfielder Casemiro is suspended here, due to yellow card accumulation. Meanwhile Amad Diallo, Bryan Mbeumo and Noussair Mazraoui have all now departed for the Africa Cup of Nations. So that’s four players unavailable for manager Ruben Amorim to call upon, and we have not even gotten to the injury report yet.
It doesn’t look like either of their two injured players will return for this one.
Manchester United at Aston Villa FYIs
Kickoff: Sun. December 21, 4:30pm, Villa Park, Birmingham, UK
Team News: Manchester United Aston Villa
Starting 11 Predictions for Both Sides: go here
PL Position, Form: Manchester United 6th, 26 pts, LWDWD Aston Villa 3rd, 33 pts, WWWWW
Google Result Probability: Manchester United 29% Draw 26% Aston Villa 45%
MUFC Team News
Harry Maguire (thigh) and Matthijs de Ligt (lower back) will most likely remain sidelined for this one. And then finally, a reunion of sorts will occur here with Jadon Sancho. Yes, the wayward winger, the English international and flop that they just can’t seem to offload, is currently on loan at Aston Villa.
He is ineligible to face his parent club here, so he won’t feature but as always, the well-traveled forward remains a dramatic storyline for both clubs involved.
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, RG.org and Ratings.org. 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 and the Washington Post.