Man Utd to round off the job in style
Only a miracle will mean Nottingham Forest progress through to the final of the EFL Cup when they take on Manchester United on Wednesday. The visitors to Old Trafford are down 3-0 from the first leg on their own patch, and although they have further bolstered their squad with some astute signings late in the January transfer window, they're unlikely to be able to claw back the deficit. Read our preview here:
Lind me a hand
Erik ten Hag moved swiftly yesterday to obtain Marcel Sabitzer's services to help cover for Christian Eriksen's absence, which is set to be at least three months. The Bayern Munich midfielder becomes the first ever Austrian to play for the men's team, but his debut will have to wait until the weekend. Fred will partner Casemiro in the double pivot role, whilst behind the duo will be Victor Lindelöf. The Swedish centre back was linked with a loan move of his own away from Stretford, but like Facundo Pellistri, was told he was needed for future games. The hosts have eight players out of contention, so many players pick themselves. ten Hag will persist with Antony despite the winger's struggles, though this could be a good match for him to regain some confidence.
Lingard-ium Leviosa
Though there was little to no pressure on Forest ahead of the two legs, they will want to at the very least be competitive. Jesse Lingard has been very vocal off the pitch about the inner workings at his former club, and he would dearly love to grab a goal as a visiting player. The rest of the XI will probably remain the same as in the first game, owing partly to registrations not being made in time for Wednesday night and partly because they had no game at the weekend to switch things up. Sam Surridge will relish testing Lindelöf aerially if he gets the opportunity to do so, and Steve Cooper's side have to go for broke.
Betting tip
Parimatch have odds of 10.50 for Man Utd to win 3-1 on the night and book passage through to the final to face Newcastle United at Wembley.
