Manchester United could get three of their four injured players back on Saturday when they host Chelsea FC. Center back Lisandro Martinez (recovering from a knee injury) remains sidelined but Matheus Cunha (thigh/hamstring), Mason Mount (unspecified) and Diogo Dalot (also undisclosed) could all return to action this weekend.
Other than that, United have no injury concerns, and they had the week off from competition.
Chelsea FC at Manchester United FYIs
Kickoff: Saturday Sept. 20, 5:30 BST, Old Trafford, London, UK
Man United Preview Material: Starting XI Prediction Team News
Chelsea FC Previews: Starting XI Prediction Team News
Premier League Standing: Chelsea FC 5th, 8 pts Manchester United 14th, 4 pts
Google Result Probability: Man United win 35% Draw 26% Chelsea FC 39%
Man United Team News vs Chelsea
Other teams were/or will be in UEFA competition this week; or the League Cup instead. Meanwhile United couldn’t even qualify for the former competition, and they’re already eliminated from the latter competition.
Thus Cunha, Mount and Dalot all had a chance to rest and recuperate this week.
Embattled United manager Ruben Amorim gave an update on the trio last Friday, ahead of the blowout Manchester derby loss.
It sounds like Cunha might be ahead of the other two right now, and should be good to go this weekend.
“I think they are out for this game,” Amorim said last week. “I don’t want to say [how long]. If you talk with Cunha outside, he will say he can play this game! So, I don’t know.
“We will manage day by day, but they are pushing hard, and that is a good thing.”
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