Manchester United looked a helluva lot better yesterday, as they thrashed Everton 4-0, but there was a price to be paid for this resounding victory. Both Lisandro Martinez and Kobbie Mainoo received yellow cards, and their bookings accumulation now renders them suspended for the trip to Arsenal on Wednesday.
Without the services of Mainoo and Martinez, their best midfielder and defender, one of the toughest matches on the slate just got a lot harder now.
Arsenal vs Manchester United FYIs
Kickoff: Wed. Dec. 4 8:15 pm, Emirates Stadium, London, UK
Starting XI Predictions: Man United Arsenal
PL Position, Form: Arsenal 2nd, 25 pts, DLDWWWWL Man United 9th, 19 pts, LDWDW
Google Result Probability: Arsenal 66% Draw 20% Man United 14%
Team News for Both Sides
Meanwhile Jonny Evans (knock) faces a late fitness test with Leny Yoro (foot) and Victor Lindelof remaining absent. In other words, it’s going to be slim pickings in the back for Ruben Amorim. Shifting gears to Arsenal, they have two new fitness concerns coming off the 5-2 thrashing of West Ham United.
Two of their midfielders, Mikel Merino (knee) and Thomas Partey (unspecified muscular injury), will need to pass late fitness tests in order be selected here.
Meanwhile Takehiro Tomiyasu and Ben White (both knee) remain out as long-term injury absentees.
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, the Internet Baseball Writers Association of America and RG. 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.