The time has arrived. We are under 24 hours away from the 2023 Carabao Cup final kicking off. This is a moment that all football fans have been patiently waiting for, as we wait to see which finalist will end their respective trophy drought and take home the trophy at Wembley.
History of the Carabao Cup
The Carabao is one of the three "major" domestic trophies in English football (the other two being the FA Cup and the Premier League) and the competition was founded in 1961.
The reigning Carabao Cup champions are Liverpool as Jurgen Klopp and his side defeated Chelsea in the 2022 final. Liverpool have also won this competition a total of nine times which is more than any other team has won it.
The competition is often referred to as the League Cup due to this being its former name.
Road to the Final
Both sides have by no means scraped through each round, as it has been a rather comfortable run for either team.
Manchester United defeated Charlton 3-0 in the quarter-finals. They then went on to beat Nottingham Forest 5-0 over two legs in the to book their spot at Wembley this weekend.
Newcastle United claimed victories in their quarter-final and semi- final clashes against Leicester and Southampton. They defeated The Foxes 2-0 in the quarter finals, followed by comfortable wins over The Saints in both legs, as the tie ended 3-1 on aggregate.
Team News
Manchester United have been extremely fortunate due to the fact that very few key members of their squad have struggled with injury problems this season.
However, there are questions regarding the fitness of Marcus Rashford, who got substituted off the pitch due to injury in his side's clash with Barcelona on Thursday. It could be a 50/50 call whether he is able to start on Sunday, but it is possible to see Rashford on the bench as Ten Hag might be inclined not to risk the in-form forward's injury becoming more severe.
The rest of the squad should be ready to go for their first cup final of the Ten Hag era.
Eddie Howe is in a similar situation to Erik Ten Hag in the sense that he has a squad that has not struggled with many major injuries.
However there is one situation at Newcastle which has caused a lot of debate amongst the football world. This situation could not have come at a worse time for The Magpies, and it all started with their Premier League against Liverpool, where goalkeeper Nick Pope received a red card following a handball outside the box. This means that the 30 year- old shots-stopper is not eligible to play in the cup final.
Now what makes this situation even more interesting that that Pope's first replacement, Martin Dubravka, is not eligible to play either, as he was on loan at Man United earlier in the season and played in this competition for The Red Devils.
This means that the only goalkeeper left to take Nick Pope's place is former Liverpool goalkeeper Loris Karius, who we all remember for that infamous performance in the 2018 Champions League final
Likely Line-ups
De Gea, Shaw, Martinez, Varane, Dalot, Casemiro, Fred, Fernandes, Sancho, Weghorst, Antony
Karius, Burn, Botman, Schar, Trippier, Joelinton, Guimaraes, S. Longstaff, Saint-Maximin, Wilson, Almiron
Key Players
Manchester United- Bruno Fernandes
Despite his numbers slowing down, Bruno Fernandes is enjoying his greatest season in his Man United career so far.
He has become a more complete player under Ten Hag, and he is no longer reliant on his goals and assists.
This is by no means saying that goals and assists are no longer a part of his game, as he has been directly involved in 11 goals in the Premier League this season.
This season he is shown exactly why he is a world class midfielder, and will be key if Man United win the Carabao Cup Final.
Newcastle United- Bruno Guimaraes
A lot of credit for Newcastle's remarkable season has to be given to Bruno Guimaraes.
Since his arrival at the club from Lyon, he has been nothing short of spectacular, and has played a key role under Howe.
The Brazilian operates in the middle of the park, and has impeccable technical ability and elite passing. He is able to beat his man with ease and also pop up with important goals for The Magpies.
The 25-year-old will be integral to this side in success to come in the future, and will certainly have to be on the top of his game in this final.
Match Details
Where is the match being played?
The match will take place at Wembley Stadium in London
What time is kick-off?
The match will kick off at 16:30 GMT on Sunday.
How can I watch?
The match will be live on Sky Sports in the UK.
