Manchester United will be hoping it’s a case of Deja Vue when they face Crystal Palace in the Premier League this afternoon as they delivered arguably their most comfortable performance of the campaign by prevailing 3-0 during their EFL Cup clash in midweek.
Erik ten Hag will be looking for just United’s fourth league win of the 2023/24 season, and they will need to make up ground sooner rather than later as Manchester City are already topping the table, nine points ahead of the Red Devils.
The Dutchman may make a few changes ahead of the tie in order to freshen up his starting XI.
What’s the Manchester United team news vs Crystal Palace?
Lisandro Martinez and Sergio Reguilon will be missing for the Old Trafford side this afternoon due to injury problems, yet Ten Hag has delivered some good news with regard to some players returning to the squad.
He said: "We have seen some players back on Tuesday, and tomorrow, back are the players who were out of the squad for Tuesday: Scott McTominay, Christian Eriksen. They are back.”
This may allow him to shuffle his midfield around a bit, yet there should be a change further up the field, with Rasmus Hojlund coming on for Anthony Martial to lead the line against the Eagles.
Will Rasmus Hojlund start for Manchester United vs Crystal Palace?
The £85k-per-week striker has made just five appearances since joining the club during the summer transfer window from Atalanta due to an injury problem, and he has scored once, against Bayern Munich in the Champions League.
The match today represents an opportunity for Ten Hag to unleash him from the first whistle in order to give him more game time and a chance to grab a goal or two in the process ahead of tougher tasks.
He has started twice in the Premier League so far, and while he hasn’t scored, the youngster has taken 1.3 shots per game while averaging 0.7 key passes per game, and he could certainly improve these statistics upon featuring more.
His display against Bayern was excellent, and it offered Ten Hag a glimpse into just what the Danish striker is capable of if he remains consistent.
Making his first start in the competition for the Red Devils, Hojlund received a Sofascore rating of 7.2 for his performance which included his first goal for the club while he also won 100% of his aerial duels, took two shots and lost possession just five times in what was a productive evening on a personal level, despite the 4-3 defeat.
Talent scout Jacek Kulig previously hailed the youngster as being a “monster in the making” after he scored five goals across his first two games for Denmark and if given the opportunity to lead the United frontline, he will go on to prove he is worth the hype.
The tie against Palace is an ideal chance for United to claim another three points and unleashing Hojlund would be a wise move by the Dutchman, that’s for sure.
