Although it’s still very early in the season, the Manchester United-Leicester City match already looks huge, for both sides. When all is said and done these two teams could be fighting it out for the final next season European football qualification slots.
For Leicester, it’s chance to prove they belong back with the big boys for the first time since 2016. For United, the pressure is already mounting on manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer to stop this season from going entirely off the rails. It certainly doesn’t help that they have nothing short of an injury crisis on their hands.
The Daily Mirror is reporting that United are still waiting for fitness information regarding left back Luke Shaw, right back Aaron Wan-Bissaka, forward Jesse Lingard, midfielder Paul Pogba and forward Anthony Martial ahead of Saturday’s clash at Old Trafford against the Foxes.
The club will also be without long term injury absentees Diogo Dalot and Eric Bailly in defense, so if AWB (withdrew from England camp due to an unspecified back injury) and Shaw (missed the draw against his former team, Southampton) can’t go, well the back line will certainly be problematic to say the least. Well, at least Harry Maguire will be fit and ready to play his former club.
There is some optimism that Martial, who has been out of action since picking up a knock against Crystal Palace, could be fit for selection. Meanwhile his fellow Frenchman Pogba missed international duty due to the ankle problem he picked up at the St. Mary’s.
Lingard returned from England camp early, due to an illness.
Leicester City and Manchester United FYIs
MUFC Starting XI Prediction: go to this link
Kickoff: Saturday Sept 14, 3pm, Old Trafford
Google Result Probability: Manchester United win 52%, Draw 26%, Leicester City win 22%
Odds via Betway: Manchester United win 1.80, Draw 3.75, Leicester City win 4.33
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net, which is partnered with News Now. Banks, the author of “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry,” regularly appears on WGN CLTV and co-hosts the “Let’s Get Weird, Sports” podcast on SB Nation.
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