Right now, Manchester United are certainly in an advantageous position to qualify for next year’s UEFA Champions League. Since the FA Cup elimination, earlier this month, United have had only one competition to contend with, the Premier League. This is why their unavailability/injury list is so short, most of the time this season- their squad is usually much more rested than their opposition. For Sunday’s clash at Arsenal, the only fitness concerns are Joshua Zirkzee, Matthijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui.
Manchester United at Arsenal FYIs
Kickoff: Sunday, January 25, 4:30pm, Emirates Stadium, London, UK
Team News: Manchester United Arsenal
Google’s Result Probability: Manchester United win 18% Draw 23% Arsenal win 59%
Man United Team News
There has just been less wear and tear on the United squad, and interim manager Michael Carrick can use this to his advantage. His side will be much more rested than Arsenal is on Sunday, as the Gunners played and beat Inter Milan in the UCL on Tuesday night.
In looking at the team news situation, Zirkzee has been ruled out for the next couple of weeks, due to an undisclosed issue. We won’t see him back until February.
In terms of De Ligt, the club admitted that Matthijs is recovering slowly, or at least slower than had been expected, from his lower back injury. He won’t be back here, but he could be in contention for the following week.
And then finally, in regards to Mazraoui, he’ll be the final United player who was away at AFCON to be re-integrated into the squad. United’s other Africa Cup of Nations absentees are already back in the swing of things.
Expect Mazraoui to be available for selection on the weekend.
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, RG.org and Ratings.org. 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 and the Washington Post.