In the words of the disco era’s most timeless musical artists, the Bee Gees, “Nobody gets too much heaven no more. It’s much harder to come by. I’m waiting in line.” Will Manchester United experience Premier League heaven by pulling off a massive upset to defeat their arch-rivals on Sunday?
Will they have their 19-year-old defender, Ayden Heaven, available for this one?
Manchester United at Liverpool FYIs
Kickoff: Sun. Oct. 19, 4:30 pm, Anfield, Liverpool, UK
Full Injury Reports: Liverpool Manchester United
Starting XI Predictions: Liverpool Manchester United
Google Result Probability: Liverpool 75% Draw 15% Manchester United 10%
PL Form, Standing: Manchester United WLWLW 10th, 10 pts Liverpool FC WWWLL 2nd, 15 pts
Team News for Both Sides
Well, that’s questionable given how Heaven suffered an unspecified injury while on international duty with the England U20s.
“He picked something up,” said Young Lions manager Ben Futcher. “I don’t think it is too serious, but we will have to see how it settles down.”
That is the only real piece of United injury news here, as Noussair Mazraoui is expected to return here while Lisandro Martinez is out until after the November international beak.
So with that in mind, let’s shift gears to Liverpool. Midfielder Ryan Gravenberch was subbed off during the Netherlands 4-0 win over Finland on Sunday.
However, it’s a total false alarm.
“It was partly fitness-related,” Gravenberch said.
“The season is long, so it was a precaution. I’m feeling good.”
So he is not a “fitness concern” here. Elsewhere Wataru Endo is a doubt, with an undisclosed issue of some sort.
Ibrahima Konate went on to the injured list, after the loss to Chelsea, right before the international break. He joins the likes of Alisson Becker and Giovanni Leoni.
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