After going top of the table for a couple of weeks, in January, Manchester United have hit a major slide. Settling for draws instead of wins, mostly against vastly inferior competition, their title chances have almost certainly faded now.
Sunday sees the Red Devils take on another lower table side, this time Newcastle United, at home. The denizens of Old Trafford need to take all three points here, or their could see their top four chances fall into danger as well. Let’s peruse the team news for this one.
Manchester United vs Newcastle United FYIs
Kickoff: Sun Feb 21, 7pm GMT, Old Trafford
United Starting XI Prediction: go here
PL Form Guide: United DDWDL Newcastle LWLWL
PL Position: United 2nd, 46 pts Newcastle 17th, 25 pts
Midfielder Paul Pogba remains sidelined, as he’s been ruled out for at least the rest of this month. Meanwhile midfielder Donny van de Beek and striker Edinson Cavani will face late fitness assessments after missing out of the big 4-0 win over Real Sociedad last night with muscular issues.
We have yet another team news item in the midfielder, where Scott McTominay is expected to miss out on this one after having re-aggravated a knock in midweek. Regardless of the situation in the standings or with the team sheet, manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer promises to keep on fighting, trying to get all three points, from every match, up until the end.
“I don’t think anyone would say they’re not going to go for it,” the Norwegian said at his press conference today.
“We’re going to go for a win every single game we play, of course we are.
“We’re second and of course your ambition then is to not end any lower than that. We’re going to have to get a good run together if we’re going to put pressure on City and that should start on Sunday [against Newcastle].”
Prediction: United 2, Newcastle 0
Last night showed us what United still have the potential to do this season. We’ll see if they bring that again.
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank, partnered with News Now. Banks, the author of “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry,” has regularly appeared in WGN, Sports Illustrated, Chicago Tribune and SB Nation. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram.