For Manchester United, the stakes are quite high and very clear- a draw or better at Burnley on Tuesday night and they’ll be top of the table all by themselves. Currently level on points with reigning champions and arch-rivals Liverpool, United also have a game in hand on the Merseyside club.
What a tremendous morale boost it would be for United, to head into their crunch clash with Liverpool on Jan. 17 perched above everyone else in the league. To get there however, United might have to make do without a few key players.
Manchester United vs. Burnley FC FYIs
Kickoff: Tue, Jan. 12, 8:15pm GMT
United Starting XI Prediction: go here
Location: Turf Moor, Burnley, United Kingdom
Premier League Form Guide: United WWDWW Burnley WLWDW
The FA Cup win over Watford yesterday came with a price as central defender Eric Bailly was forced off at half-time. He collided with goalkeeper Dean Henderson and suffered an apparent neck injury.
“I honestly can’t tell you,” United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer answered when asked about Bailly’s state.
“I think he got a good whack, I don’t think it’s concussion, I think it’s his neck, which is sore. Hopefully a muscle injury but we’ll have to check it tomorrow and fingers crossed he won’t be out for too long.”
Midfielder Paul Pogba, left back Luke Shaw and centreback Victor Lindelof all missed out on the weekend, and when asked why Solskjaer replied: “They were injured.”
Lindelof missed four games over the festive period with his nagging back problems, and Shaw was out for a couple weeks in December with a hamstring proble. Pogba missed time in November due to an ankle issue.
In other team news, defenders Marcos Rojo and Phil Jones remain out as long term absentees while striker Edinson Cavani is available again, having finished serving his suspension.
For Burnley, who enter this match 16th, and five points clear of the drop zone, there is hope that Nick Pope can recover from his ankle injury in time for this one, but it may end up being Will Norris who gets the call. Dwight McNeil is a doubt (groin injury) and Charlie Taylor, Jay Rodriguez and Kevin Long are all expected to miss out.
Prediction: United 2, Burnley 0
Look for the Red Devils to cruise in this one, given a.) their dominant road form this season and b.) Burnley simply just does not score much.
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank, 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,” has regularly appeared in WGN, Sports Illustrated, Chicago Tribune and SB Nation. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram.