Manchester United will look to bounce back from a very poor effort in Saturday’s 1-2 loss against Huddersfield, a defeat that ended United’s undefeated run across all competitions. But since football usually gives you the chance to recover quickly, Manchester United have the perfect chance to get back to winning ways quite soon. The Red Devils will visit Swansea City this Tuesday at 19:45 BST. Jose Mourinho’s men will look to advance to the next round of the Carabao Cup against a team they already defeated comfortably during the Premier League campaign.
Team News
Jose Mourinho will have several absentees ahead of this match. As it has been the case in past matches, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Marcos Rojo remain sidelined due to injury. The Argentinian defender is reportedly back in training, but Mourinho said earlier this week that he is “at least two weeks away” from playing in a competitive match. Paul Pogba (hamstring) and Marouane Fellaini (knee) won’t be available either.
Michael Carrick (undisclosed) has been ruled out as well, leaving United quite shorthanded in central midfield. This sounds like the perfect opportunity to deploy Daley Blind in his natural CM role, as Nemanja Matic and Ander Herrera could certainly use a bit of rest. Last but not least, Phil Jones left the field early in Saturday’s loss. Victor Lindelöf is expected to get another chance to impress at the back, possibly playing next to Chris Smalling or Eric Bailly.
Bailly is reportedly available for this match and if he starts, it would be his first appearance since the last international break. There is no question the team has missed his imposing presence at the back.
On the other hand, Swansea will have their fair share of absentees as well. Kyle Bartley (knee), Renato Sanches (thigh) and Wilfried Bony (thigh) are out through injury. Meanwhile, Leroy Fer will miss the game through suspension.
Form Guide
Manchester United might have lost against Huddersfield last week, but that doesn’t take away the fact that they have been on impressive form during the entire season. They went 12 streak games undefeated across all competitions, while sitting second in the Premier League standings and at top of their Group in the UEFA Champions League. The Carabao Cup might not be as important as the league or the UCL, but United will definitively try to go as far as they can in the competition. But they must improve based on their recent performances, as they have one win, one draw and one loss since the international break. That is not enough if they want to contend.
On the other hand, Swansea have already accumulated five losses in the Premier League following their defeat against Leicester City this past weekend. With only four points in their last six league outings, the Welsh side are inching closely to the red zone in the standings. So they must play better in an attempt to bolster their confidence. At the very least, a good performance in the Carabao Cup will increase their morale for the upcoming challenges.
Prediction
Both sides are riding opposite spectrums when it comes to their form. While Manchester United remain near the top of the standings despite their recent loss, Swansea have struggled badly. They lost to Leicester City this past weekend, and have conquered just four points in his last six league outings. United shouldn’t have problems to advance to the next round even if we consider how depleted Mourinho’s side might be ahead of this match. They are massive favourites here for a reason.
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