Last Boxing Day, Manchester United headed to the Molineux, to take on Wolverhampton Wanderers with Matthijs de Ligt and Harry Maguire as doubtful for selection. They entered this match with a total of 22 points accumulated, thus far, in the Premier League season.
All of that history repeats here, although the rest of the situation, around both clubs, is quite different.
Manchester United at Wolverhampton Wanderers
Kickoff: Monday December 8, 8pm, Molineux, Wolverhampton, UK
Man United Preview Content: Team News Starting XI Prediction
Result Probability: Wolves 22% Man United 54% Draw 24%
PL Form, Position: Wolves LLLLL, 2 pts, 20th Man United DDLWD, 22 pts, 8th
Man United Team News
This time, De Ligt is dealing with a knock of some sort while last year he was battling an unspecified illness.
“For Matta, it is a small thing,” United manager Ruben Amorim said earlier today. “I expect to have Matthijs next game [at Molineux].”
With Maguire, he’s currently dealing with a thigh injury, and most likely won’t make the squad. Back then, he was on a pitch count/having his minutes managed.
Also United’s 22 points right now, versus having to reach Boxing Day in order to hit that mark speaks to the improvement this season. They entered that match sitting 13th, while right now they’re 8th.
And while Benjamin Sesko obvioulsy remains unavailable with a knee injury, Diogo Dalot is a slight doubt due to an unspecified issue.
Said Amorim at his Friday news conference earlier today: “Will Dalot be available? ‘I think so, we’ll see.”
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.