Manchester United are getting ready to return to action! After almost full two weeks of no matches for the Red Devils, it is now time to get back to the FA Cup. Ralf Rangnick’s side had some time to rest due to the short winter break, but now the most important stretch of the campaign is about the start. After the 3rd round win in the FA Cup against Aston Villa, the Devils will be hosting Championship’s Middlesbrough, as they hope to continue their run.
The FA Cup seems to be the only competition Man United could actually win this year, which would end the five-year drought, but first, before they get any closer to the final stages of the competition, let’s first have a look at what you should now ahead of the Friday night match at Old Trafford.
Team News
Team news for Man United are looking better than in the previous weeks. The main reason for that is Paul Pogba who is expected to be back in team after a long spell out of contention. Luke Shaw will also get back on the pitch, with the likes of Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Jadon Sancho also expecting to be included in the team. Eric Bailly has ankle problems and will not play, Edinson Cavani was part of Uruguay national team and is not an option, as well as Victor Lindelof who is ill and Jesse Lingard who had his issues with the club in the final days of the transfer window.
Middlesbrough know Riley McGree will miss out on this trip due to coronavirus, while there are three more injured players – Marc Bola, Sammy Ameobi and Darnel Fisher. Also, James Lea Siliki is on international duty and is not able to help them out against Man United.
Form Guide
Manchester United will be actually hosting Boro in decent form. After their loss to Wolves at the start of the year, they defeated Aston Villa, Brentford and West Ham, whilst also drawin against Villa in the league. The performances have been far from ideal, but at least the results have started getting together.
Middlesbrough, on the other hand, have been doing really well in the Championship. After coming back down to the second tier following relegation from the Premier League, Middlesbrough had a lot of issues, but this season things are looking much better. In their last 10 games in all competitions, Boro have eight wins, one draw and one loss. That is why they are currently seventh in the standings and in contention for a place in the promotion play-off. Middlesbrough did lose to Blackburn recently, but they recovered with a 1-0 win over Coventry. And now they will be coming to Old Trafford hoping for a big surprise.
Predicted Outcome
Considering everything, we predict Manchester United will beat Middlesbrough 2-0. This will not be a thrilling victory for Cristiano Ronaldo and the crew, but the sheer quality in Rangnick’s squad should be enough to get past Boro without many problems.