Manchester United are set to host Liverpool on Sunday in the FA Cup quarter-final clash, a long-awaited match which will determine which of England’s two of the greatest clubs will go to Wembley and continue their quest for the silverware. Here is everything you need to know ahead of the match.
Team News
Rasmus Hojlund’s muscle injury ended his flourishing goalscoring streak but now the Danish striker is poised to make a comeback this weekend. This reassurance comes from both Erik Ten Hag and Denmark national team’s head coach, Kasper Hjulmand. The optimism surrounding the Red Devils extends to the fitness status of Harry Maguire and Aaron Wan-Bissaka. Meanwhile, Mason Mount, who has been grappling with a long-term calf injury, has finally resurfaced in training. Nonetheless, he is set to undergo further conditioning to sync up with his teammates. While Hojlund’s return appears imminent, doubts linger over the availability of fellow budding forward, Omari Forson. In addition, Anthony Martial (groin), Luke Shaw (muscle), Tyrell Malacia (knee), and Lisandro Martinez (knee) continue their journey to recovery from their respective serious ailments. This means there will be some more reshuffling in the back four for Ten Hag.
Liverpool’s fortunes took a slight downturn following Thursday’s clash with Sparta, leaving Jurgen Klopp with a few concerns to address. The emergence of first-time goalscorer Clark was overshadowed by his untimely departure due to an apparent ankle issue in the second half. Yet, Klopp swiftly moved to allay fears surrounding the 19-year-old’s injury, exuding confidence in the availability of Ryan Gravenberch. However, the outlook for Ibrahima Konate’s thigh injury appears less optimistic as he struggles to regain fitness. The injury list for Liverpool remains extensive, with Stefan Bajcetic (calf), Thiago Alcantara (muscle), Diogo Jota (knee), Ben Doak (knee), Joel Matip (knee), Alisson Becker (thigh), Curtis Jones (shin), and Trent Alexander-Arnold (knee) still sidelined. Nonetheless, Mo Salah emerged unscathed after an unforeseen full 90 minutes on the pitch against Sparta.
Form Guide
Man United are hosting liverpool after a series of ups and downs in terms of results. After their five-match winning streak, Fulham ended with a win at Old Trafford. The Devils bounced back with a 1-0 win against Nottingham Forest, before losing 3-1 to Manchester City in the derby. But last weekend’s 2-0 win against Everton had seen an improvement and now Ten Hag’s side will try to cause an upset against their greatest rival. Things have not been ideal at Man United for a while, but a good thing is that the team will have more time to prepare for this match, as Liverpool played on Thursday in the Europa League, so could be a bit more tired.
As for Liverpool, they are on a really good run. Since mid-December, they had lost one match, against Arsenal in early February, and are unbeaten since. In the process, they won the League Cup in what pretty much announced Jurgen Klopp’s final season at Anfield. The team is now motivated to give the German the best possible send off. Liverpool are thus in the middle of a three-team title race in the Premier League, alongside Arsenal and Manchester City. In recent weeks, they were scoring goals for fun, including 5-1 and 6-1 wins against Sparta Prague, and even managed a 1-1 draw against City in one of the key matches of the campaign.
Predicted Outcome
Considering everything, Liverpool are favourites, but we back Manchester United to win 2-1 and shock Jurgen Klopp’s side in the middle of their race for four different trophies in a single season.
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