The winter break was expected to bring some quiet reflection for Manchester United football club, but the opposite has been true. The Mason Greenwood saga (which we’ll cover below) has dominated headlines, as the awful story line broke during a total dead period for soccer news.
Also, a January transfer window came and went with nothing really positive to speak of, other than the exit of Ed Woodward, and that had been planned for almost a year. United now return to action with a 4th round clash in the FA Cup against Middlesbrough.
FA Cup 4th Round FYIs
Kick: Fri Feb 4, 8pm, Old Trafford
MUFC Starting XI Prediction: go here
Weekly Premier League Pod: go here
Key Stat: United are undefeated in their last 13 (W8 D5) against Middlesbrough, with their last meeting coming in March of 2017.
Series Notes: Middlesbrough have been drawn against United more times (11) in the FA Cup than any other club
Latest on Mason Greenwood
Wednesday brought news that Greenwood has been “released on bail pending further investigation,” according to a Greater Manchester Police statement.
Greenwood, 20, was initially arrested on Sunday on suspicion of rape and assault following his girlfriend’s Instagram account having posted haunting images and a graphic audio file. He was further arrested yesterday (that means he was detained for further questioning), on suspicion of sexual assault and having made threats to kill.
Greenwood, who has scored six goals this season, has been indefinitely suspended by United, and his current contract runs through 2025. Having been also dropped by Nike and removed from the FIFA 22 video game, we may have seen the last of Greenwood in a United shirt.
Other Team News
Jadon Sancho was a top trending term on Twitter yesterday as he returned to training, after having taken personal leave. Victor Lindelof missed the win over West Ham United as well, for the same cause. Luke Shaw (injury) and Aaron Wan-Bissaka (illness) are both expected to return as well.
The big news though concerns Paul Pogba, who will see his first action here since November. He’s been out all that time with a thigh injury, and interim manager Ralf Rangnick said the Frenchman may even start here.
Beyond just his availability here, there is a lot of concern about whether he has a future at the club or not.
According to a report in ESPN today, “United hope their choice of manager might convince Pogba to extend his contract at Old Trafford rather than walk away for free in the summer.”
There are more selection concerns, as Rangnick ruled out Alex Telles, Eric Bailly, Edinson Cavani (all due to playing in South American World Cup Qualifiers and needing recovery time), as well as Victor Lindelof (illness) and Jesse Lingard (mental health refresh after his transfer saga had an unhappy ending).
Prediction
United should really cruise here, despite the persistent tumult of their season, they have been able to take care of business against lesser competition from lower divisions with regularity. United win 4-0.
Paul M. Banks is the owner/manager of The Bank (TheSportsBank.Net) and author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” as well as “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He has regularly appeared in WGN, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune, and co-hosts the After Extra Time podcast. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram.