Manchester derby preview: which manager has more to lose ahead of Carabao Cup clash?
This season has been bitterly disappointing for both sides of Manchester. By Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s own admission, the red half are behind schedule in their development. Their noisy neighbours, meanwhile, are already 14 points off the title pace. The Premier League title has ended up in Manchester in nine of the last 13 campaigns but it now looks set to finish on Merseyside for the first time. That will be a bleak day for Manchester United, in particular.
For now, at least, they can both forget about their league woes, and Liverpool, and switch their focus to the Carabao Cup semi-finals. It’s the first piece of silverware on offer for English sides and it's vitally important for both managers. The winner of this tie will be expected to go on and lift the cup next month.
Of all the trophies on offer for Premier League clubs during the course of the season the League Cup is certainly the least desirable on offer. Yet it could have huge significance for both managers. With the league out of reach, coupled with Manchester City's shortcomings in Europe, domestic cups represent City's most realistic chance of silverware this season. Pep Guardiola failed to win a single trophy in his first season in charge of City and to go through his fourth campaign without silverware would be considered a huge failure.
Solskjaer, meanwhile, needs his first trophy as United manager to leverage more time and patience. The 46-year-old's position as United head coach is constantly under scrunity and eliminating Chelsea and City en route to lifting the Carabao Cup would certainly calm things down at Old Trafford for a while. Things, however, are not looking good for Solskjaer ahead of Tuesday's clash.
Team News
The United head coach will be unable to call on his best two midfielders, with Paul Pogba and Scott McTominay both sidelined through injury. Key striker Anthony Martial is also a doubt through illness, while defensive duo Harry Maguire and Luke Shaw require late assessments. It was only last month United impressively won away to City but eliminating Guardiola's side over two legs will be an even tougher assignment, particularly with their growing injury list.
The same cannot be said for City. Guardiola is close to having a full squad for the first-leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final. Tuesday may come too soon for Aymeric Laporte but City's best centre-back is at least back in training, while Leroy Sane is not far away from joining the Frenchman. David Silva returned from injury in their FA Cup win over Port Vale at the weekend, while club-record scorer Sergio Aguero is also available. Guardiola rested several of his key man on Saturday with this game in mind.
Key players
With Pogba and McTominay missing, it's clear United need Marcus Rashford at his best in order to have a realistic shot of taking a lead into the return leg. The United No.10 is enjoying his best ever season in front of goal and has netted 16 goals in his last 21 matches for club and country. In that run includes goals against City, Tottenham, Chelsea and Liverpool. Despite criticisms of Rashford in the past, he already has an impressive record in big matches at the age of just 22.
United will also require big performances at the back. Aaron Wan-Bissaka was near-perfect when United won away to City in December and his personal duel with Raheem Sterling will be key once again on Tuesday. Sergio Romero is expected to continue in goal in midweek and another big performance would apply more pressure on David De Gea for the No.1 role in all competitions. Romero is arguably the best No.2 of all Premier League clubs, illustrated by a fine record of 33 clean sheets in 54 appearances for United in all competitions.
The Red Devils haven't kept a clean sheet in any of their last five encounters with City, however, which is hardly surprising given the raft of offensive firepower at the disposal of Guardiola. Kevin De Bruyne is usually at the thick of things for City and the Belgium international, now free of last season's injury woes, has been in immense form for Guardiola's side. De Bruyne has played a direct hand in 19 goals in 20 appearances in the league alone this term (seven goals, 12 assists). He failed to have a decisive impact in last month's Manchester derby and it would be some achievement by United to keep him quiet for two encounters running.
