After avoiding an FA Cup upset on Sunday, Manchester United are back in Premier League action on Thursday night as they travel to an in-form Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Newport County’s effort was admirable at the weekend, fighting back to restore parity at 2-2, but a pair of second-half goals saw United advance into the fifth round. Wolves were also victorious in a bitter Black Country Derby – extending their unbeaten run to seven games in the process.
United’s indifference this term leaves them eighth in the table, but a productive run could see them re-emerge in the top-four race. They’re currently eight points adrift of Tottenham Hotspur in fifth and 11 behind fourth-placed Aston Villa.
They do, however, have an excellent record against Wolves, even if their opening weekend win was laden with controversy. Thursday’s hosts have been in fine form, with the returning Pedro Neto mitigating for Hwang Hee-chan’s absence. Wolves will draw level with United on 32 points with a win.
Here’s 90min’s preview of the upcoming Premier League fixture.
Wolves vs Man Utd H2H Record (Last Five Games)
Current Form (Last Five Games)
|
Country |
TV channel/live stream |
|---|---|
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United Kingdom |
TNT Sports 1, discovery+ App, discovery+ |
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United States |
UNIVERSO NOW, nbcsports.com, Telemundo Deportes En Vivo, USA Network, UNIVERSO, NBC Sports App |
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Canada |
fuboTV |
Joao Gomes serves the last of his three-game suspension on Thursday and is thus unavailable. Mario Lemina should once again be partnered by Tommy Doyle in the middle of the park.
Pablo Sarabia is expected to swiftly recover from a minor calf injury but Hwang, Justin Hubner, and Boubacar Traore are away on international duty.
Rayan Ait-Nouri should come back into the starting XI at left wing-back.
Wolves predicted lineup vs Man Utd (3-4-3): Sa; Kilman, Dawson, Toti; Semedo, Doyle, Lemina, Ait-Nouri; Neto, Bellegarde, Cunha.
Sofyan Amrabat is still away at the Africa Cup of Nations with Morocco, so he isn’t available on Wednesday. Ten Hag could continue with Casemiro and Kobbie Mainoo in his midfield pivot, with Mason Mount also out.
Victor Lindelof should be back in action soon, but he’s unlikely to feature on Thursday. Tyrell Malacia and Luke Shaw are both doubts, so Diogo Dalot could shift over to left-back with Aaron Wan-Bissaka coming back in. Anthony Martial is set for a spell on the sidelines.
Marcus Rashford could be reintegrated into the squad after sitting out the cup victory over Newport County. Ten Hag claimed that the forward was ill but Rashford had been spotted in a Belfast nightclub on Thursday.
Man Utd predicted lineup vs Wolves (4-2-3-1): Onana; Wan-Bissaka, Varane, Martinez, Dalot; Mainoo, Casemiro; Antony, Fernandes, Garnacho; Hojlund.
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Man Utd have enjoyed a period of serenity at the start of the new year, playing just three times in January without defeat.
Their record against Wolves will inspire confidence in a victory on Saturday, but the hosts are in excellent form and primed to record their first triumph over the Red Devils at Molineux since 2019. O’Neil’s men are stubborn defensively and excellent in transition.
However, United have shown enough lately to suggest they’ll pick up at least a point in midweek. The returns of key stars from injuries should bring about some stability.
Prediction: Wolves 1-1 Man Utd
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