Manchester United have to wait until the UK Bank Holiday to get back to Premier League action, as they travel to Crystal Palace for a Monday kick-off.
Erik ten Hag’s side had a mixed week, beating Coventry City on penalties at Wembley and overcoming Sheffield United at home, before being held by relegation-threatened Burnley on Saturday.
Nine days will have elapsed by the time the Reds kick a ball again and, with Champions League qualification now no longer possible, we’re hoping to finish the league season as strongly as we can ahead of our Emirates FA Cup final meeting with Manchester City on 25 May.
PAST MEETINGS
The sides have already met twice this season, both games taking place within four days in late September. Goals from Casemiro, Alejandro Garnacho and Anthony Martial at Old Trafford helped United knock Palace out of the Carabao Cup in the third round, but the Eagles gained revenge the following weekend, as Joachim Andersen’s first-half goal was enough to secure victory in the Premier League.
United haven’t won at Selhurst Park since July 2020, when Marcus Rashford and Martial scored, with two draws and a defeat in south London since. That reverse, on the final day of the 2021/22 campaign, marks the only time Palace have claimed three points against us on their home patch in the Premier League era, with United winning eight of the other 13 meetings.
FORM GUIDE
Palace have lost just three of their 10 games under the stewardship of new manager Oliver Glasner and are without defeat in four, a run which includes an impressive 1-0 victory over title-challenging Liverpool at Anfield. The Londoners have also beaten West Ham United and Newcastle United in their last two home outings and are looking to record three straight victories at Selhurst Park for the first time since October 2022.
Jean-Philippe Mateta has been among the goals recently, scoring in each of his five home appearances under Glasner. According to Opta, the Frenchman can become the first player to score in his first six home outings under one manager in the Premier League since Alan Shearer, who did so for Kevin Keegan during the 1996/97 campaign.
TEAM NEWS
United await potential updates from Erik ten Hag’s press conference on Thursday, but, last week, the boss said he expected Anthony Martial, Lisandro Martinez and Luke Shaw to return to team training this week. He also added that Jonny Evans, Victor Lindelof and Raphael Varane were due back some time in May.
Mason Mount returned to the squad for the 1-1 draw with Burnley on Saturday, but Scott McTominay was added to the injury list after awkwardly extending his knee. The Scotland international, in a post on Instagram, suggested the issue wasn’t as bad as it first appeared, however. Marcus Rashford and Willy Kambwala are doubts and both missed the home matches with Sheffield United and Burnley last week.
Former United keeper Dean Henderson is likely to be between the sticks for Palace, as Sam Johnstone is out for the season due to an elbow injury. Cheick Doucoure is also ruled out until the summer, but key men Eberechi Eze, Marc Guehi and Jefferson Lerma will be evaluated before our visit.
It’s an 8:00 PM kickoff in the UK, which means 3:00 PM on the east coast of the US
The match can be seen on Sky Sports Premier League in the UK. Those Stateside can watch on USA or NBC sports streaming. If you’re in Canada, you can stream the game through FuboTV.
Everyone else, head on over to LiveSoccerTV to find your viewing options.
Manchester United possible starting lineup: Onana; Dalot, Casemiro, Maguire, Wan-Bissaka; Eriksen, Mainoo; Antony, Fernandes, Garnacho; Hojlund
