After a heartbreaking defeat to Manchester City at the weekend, the Reds will hope to bounce back with a bang against Crystal Palace this weekend. They host a struggling Palace side who sit in 17th place, 7 places below an out-of-form United opposition. The away side will have to partake without talisman Mile Jedinak through suspension and Wilfried Zaha, due to the fact that he is on loan from the Red Devils. The game itself is on Saturday, with a kick-off time of 3pm GMT.
A win for the Reds is not certain however, as they considerably lack depth in the defensive areas of the pitch. After dislocating his shoulder last week, the Argentine centre-back Marcos Rojo will not be available for selection, and neither will Chris Smalling due to his dismissal in the Manchester Derby, causing him to face a one match suspension. Jonny Evans could return from injury, and it seems ever more likely that 19-year-old Patrick McNair will start the game. Rumours have also been circulating that young striker James Wilson could start over Robin van Persie, who has failed to hit the heights he demonstrated under Louis van Gaal at this year’s World Cup. Wilson, 18, made a short appearance in the derby last week, and went on to score for the U21 side in a midweek tie against Leicester U21’s. His form for the U21’s seems to have caught the manager’s eye, warranting him a place in the starting XI.
Crystal Palace themselves are in considerably poor form and they lost 3-1 at home to Sunderland, who were below them in the table at that time. This may just be the perfect time for United to face such an out-of-form side, due to their defensive injuries. A loss this weekend would put serious pressure on Louis van Gaal and his team as they play Arsenal the following week.
Despite only picking up a point from the last two games, van Gaal’s men have showed grit and determination, causing them to be strong favourites in this weekend’s fixture. 3 points this weekend would be the perfect starting block to build momentum from, giving them the slightest bit more confidence when they travel to the Emirates next week. But remember, this is a new Manchester United. And unfortunately, they’re prone to a slip up or two. However, it’s hard to foresee anything but a comfortable win for the Reds this weekend, and hopefully it won’t be another one of those dismal days for the Old Trafford faithful.
Prediction: Manchester United 3-1 Crystal Palace
