If ever there was a time for United to really stick it to City in the Manchester Derby, it’s Sunday. United have just two injury concerns, Jonny Evans and Luke Shaw, neither of which are major. United have been forced to learn to live without Luke Shaw for a long time already, and Jonny Evans is just a squad player, who is lower on the depth chart.
There are no new injury concerns for United as of now.
Manchester Derby FYIs
Kickoff: Sun, Dec 15, 4:30pm, Etihad Stadium
Starting XI Predictions: Man United Man City
Team News: Man United Man City
Probability: United Win 19% | City Win 61% | Draw 20%
Meanwhile City are banged up, considerably, and their season has been in free fall the past few weeks. So for United, this isn’t about “pulling off an upset” in the Manchester Derby, or “finding a way to a result” against City. This is about making a statement, and not just winning, but leaving no doubt at all in the result.
That side, City might still be the favorites here, and Ruben Amorim is playing the underdog card here.
“The great teams can respond in any moment and I think they are in a better place than us in type of understanding the game, the way they play, the confidence they have,” said Amorim, whose Sporting Lisbon team whipped the Cityzens 4-1 in the Champions League earlier this season, before he took the United job.
“Even in this kind of moments, we have a lot to focus on in our team. We will face a great opponent and I’m more focused on our problems. We have a lot of issues here.”
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network, the Internet Baseball Writers Association of America and RG. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, the Washington Post and ESPN. You can follow him on Linked In and Twitter.