You might not be too enthralled when you first hear that the eighth and ninth place teams in the Premier League table will be clashing on Saturday afternoon, but it’s a match-up which is actually much more relevant and exciting than that designation makes it out to be.
That’s because it’s a classic David vs Goliath kind of tussle, with the richest club in England hosting a newly promoted side. Yes, Manchester United will welcome Wolverhampton Wanderers to Old Trafford this weekend. Here is all the vital information you need as the Red Devils welcome Wolves to the theatre of dreams.
United will be without the suspended Nemanja Matic and Marcus Rashford for this one, but do not have any new injury concerns. Mourinho could shuffle his lineup for this one, with Anthony Martial, Ashley Young, Marouane Fellaini, Alexis Sanchez and Antonio Valencia all having the potential of first team inclusion in this one.
Nuno Espirito Santo has named the same lineup for all five of Wolverhampton’s Premier League contests, and is expected to do the same here. Wolves enter this match on the heels of back to back 1-0 victories over Burnley and West Ham United. Their only loss this season, in any competition, was to Leicester City in league play on August 18.
United starting XI Prediction: go to this link
Kick-off: 3pm (BST), Saturday Sept 22
Odds via Bet365: United 8/15 Draw 14/5 Wolverhampton Wanderers 11/2
Prediction: United 1, Wolverhampton Wanderers 0
As always, feel free to post your own United and/or Wolverhampton Wanderers starting XI predictions, as well as your best guess as to what the final score will be.
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net and TheBank.News, which is partnered with News Now. Banks, a former writer for NBC Chicago.com and Chicago Tribune.com, is currently a regular contributor to SB Nation, WGN CLTV and Chicago Now.
Follow him on Twitter, Instagram, Sound Cloud and YouTube. The content of his cat’s Instagram account is unquestionably superior to any and all of his.