Man United set to miss 5 top stars in crunch Premier League tie against Man City in Manchester derby
- Man United are set to miss the services of up to five key players when they take on rivals City at Etihad Stadium
- Paul Pogba, David de Gea, Van de Beek and Juan Mata will play no role in the Premier League cracker
- The match come at a time the Red Devils are trailing City by a massive 14 points as the campaign enters the homestretch
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Man United are due to miss the services of veteran striker Edinson Cavani when they take on rivals City in the Manchester derby on Sunday, March 7.
Source: Getty Images
Cavani had missed four of United's recent fixtures with a muscular problem before he made a return against Crystal Palace on Wednesday night, March 3, but was withdrawn after just 14 minutes under unclear circumstances.
However, the Uruguayan was conspicuously absent as Man United squad made their way to their hotel on Saturday evening, March 6.
The development means Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will be relying on out-of-form Anthony Martial to lead the line alongside Marcus Rashford and Mason Greenwood.
Daniel James, Shola Shoretire and Amad Diallo are also expected to form part of the squad that will make the Etihad trip.
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David de Gea, Donny van de Beek, Paul Pogba and Juan Mata will also play no role in the fixture as they did not join the rest of the team in their hotel.
In the absence of De Gea who left camp to join his partner who was delivering their first child, Dean Henderson is expected to be drafted in goal.
Speaking on De Gea's absence, Solskjaer said he will afford Henderson "the time he needs" before the Spaniard shotstopper makes a return.
The Sunday match comes at a time United are trailing City by a massive 14 points as the season hits the homestretch.
Pep Guardiola's men currently lead the standings with 65 points after 27 rounds of matches, with the Red Devils sitting third with 51.
A win over the Citizens will see Ole's men leapfrog Leicester to second on the log as they currently trail the Foxes by 51 points.
Full Man United squad to face Man City:
Goalkeepers: Dean Henderson, Lee Grant, Nathan Bishop
Defenders: Harry Maguire, Eric Bailly, Victor Lindelof, Axel Tuanzebe, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Luke Shaw, Alex Telles, Brandon Williams
Midfielders: Bruno Fernandes, Fred, Nemanja Matic, Scott McTominay
Forwards: Marcus Rashford, Anthony Martial, Mason Greenwood, Daniel James, Shola Shoretire, Amad Diallo
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Meanwhile, Legit.ng had earlier reported that Harry Maguire and Marcus Rashford were involved in a bust-up during Man United's draw with Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park, The Sun.
The Red Devils captain and the striker used abusive words words at each other when they began to get frustrated in the game.
Rashford was caught in an offside position by the linesman and Maguire reacted angrily to the situation with his fellow Englishman.
Akan Anwankwo is a sports editor with Legit.ng and has 7 years of field and office experience. He graduated from the University of Lagos in 2014 with a Bachelors degree in English and Literature Studies. Akan intends to educate, inform and make readers passionate about sports. Learn more about him on his Twitter handle: @ anwankwo_akan
Source: Legit.ng
