December 26th 2024.
Matthijs de Ligt has been unable to play in the past two games due to an illness. This has been a blow for Manchester United, who are looking to bounce back from their recent 3-0 Premier League defeat to Bournemouth. The team will have a chance to redeem themselves on Boxing Day when they face Wolves.
United's loss to Andoni Iraola's team on Sunday marked their second consecutive defeat and highlighted their inconsistent start under Ruben Amorim. The result has left them in 13th place on the table and for the first time since 1989, they will spend Christmas Day in the bottom half of the standings.
With little time to dwell on their defeat, United must now prepare for a tough match against Wolves, who are coming off a crucial 3-0 win against Leicester City in Vitor Pereira's first game in charge. The new manager replaced Gary O'Neil and will be looking to continue his winning start.
In order to improve their defensive performance, United will be hoping to have De Ligt back in the lineup. The Dutch center-back has been out due to illness but was expected to return against Bournemouth. However, he was not included in the matchday squad. If he does return, he will likely join Harry Maguire and Lisandro Martinez in the back three, with Noussair Mazroui returning to his usual position as wing-back.
Unfortunately, there is more bad news for United's defense as Victor Lindelof is unlikely to feature after picking up an injury against Tottenham. Luke Shaw is still recovering from a long-term injury he suffered at the start of the month.
In the midfield, Mason Mount is also a concern after limping off during the Manchester Derby. Amorim confirmed that he will be out for several weeks, leaving United with fewer options in the middle of the pitch.
As for Marcus Rashford, although he has not been injured, he has not been included in the last three matchday squads. His future at United remains uncertain after he expressed his desire for a new challenge. It remains to be seen if he will be part of the squad to face Wolves.
Amorim may also choose to make changes to his attacking trio, with Joshua Zirkzee possibly being replaced by Rasmus Hojlund and Bruno Fernandes being deployed in a deeper midfield position to make room for Alejandro Garnacho.
The predicted starting lineup for United against Wolves includes Onana, Martinez, Maguire, De Ligt, Dalot, Mainoo, Ugarte, Mazraoui, Fernandes, Hojlund, and Amad.
The match will kick off at 5:30pm on December 26 and will be broadcast on Amazon Prime. Fans will be eagerly watching to see if United can bounce back from their recent defeat and secure a much-needed win.
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