A place in the fourth round of the Carabao Cup is the prize on offer when Manchester United welcome Barnsley to Old Trafford this evening.
Having lifted the trophy in February 2023 for the sixth time in United’s history, Erik ten Hag will be keen to remain diligent in his quest for additional silverware.
The League One side have enjoyed a mixed start to their domestic campaign, winning three of their six fixtures to sit in seventh position.
However, cup football is a fickle beast, and it would be foolish to underestimate a side that has seen off Wigan and Sheffield United en route to Manchester.
Ten Hag is not renowned for wholesale rotations, but even he has acknowledged its necessity to remain competitive.
With a barrage of under-21 starlets eager to replicate their heroics against the Tykes in August, fans are keen to see some of them in action this evening.
Team News
Following three badly needed points at St Mary’s, the Old Trafford faithful were slightly concerned about the health of Lisandro Martinez, Matthijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui.
The trio were substituted during the 3-0 win, with each appearing to have picked up a knock.
However, Ten Hag has since ruled out any issues. “They are all available,” he told media ahead of the fixture.
“I hope I have headaches because, last year, I also had headaches, but there were no players available.
“So, I hope I have many players available, and we can make a selection from game to game. Definitely, we have to rotate because we have to cover so many games, and so it’s not only about a starting XI.”
Unfortunately, the 8 PM BST kickoff comes too soon for Luke Shaw, Leny Yoro, Mason Mount, Rasmus Hojlund, Victor Lindelof, and Tyrell Malacia.
But new signing Manuel Ugarte will be keen to add to his 17-minute cameo over the weekend, and he is in contention to start.
Harry Amass, Toby Collyer, Ethan Wheatley and Jack Fletcher played their part in a memorable 3-2 EFL Trophy victory against tonight’s opponents, with the latter notching a game-winning brace.
The quartet will hope to gain additional first-team minutes as they continue their development.
The facts behind the fixture
Manchester United and Barnsley have faced off on 38 occasions, with the sides first meeting for a scoreless draw in Division Two in November 1898.
The 20-time English champions hold a dominant record with victories in 22 outings (11 draws and five defeats).
However, the last cup meeting ended in a win for the League One outfit in a 3-2 FA Cup 5th-round replay in 1998 under the guidance of Sir Alex Ferguson.
Let us hope for plain sailing in the North West tonight, with the opportunity to add to the winning momentum at the Theatre of Dreams.
How do you see this Carabao Cup fixture playing out?
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