Manchester United take on Austrian side LASK Linz in a very important Europa League fixture tomorrow night. The Red Devils will be looking to continue their impressive run of form against a formidable LASK team.
Manchester United Prepare for Important Game at LASK Linz
The Opponent:
LASK seems like an easy side to beat, but they are coming into the match on a run of amazing form. They currently sit stop the Austrian Bundesliga, having only just twice in the league this campaign. They are also quite dangerous at home, having won all of their Europa League home matches this season.
LASK will be vulnerable in defence after suffering numerous injuries and suspensions. They will be without Philip Wiesinger, Petar Filipovic and Marvin Potzmann. Wiesinger and Filipovic are suspended, while Potzmann is injured after suffering a rupture to his cruciate ligament.
Manchester United Need to Continue Form
Manchester United cannot become overconfident. They are in-form after their recent derby victory and are unbeaten in their last ten games. But earlier results from this season, especially in the Premier League, show that when United play so-called ‘lesser’ sides, they tend to struggle to reach second gear and drop easy points. United need to stay on the gas and continue their winning streak against LASK.
The Red Devils have great momentum coming into this game. They have won seven of their last ten games, losing none. Their greatest victory in this period came in a 6-0 win over Tranmere Rovers in the FA Cup. Over this period, United have scored 24 goals while having only let up two and have recorded eight clean-sheets.
The first leg will be played behind closed doors following advice from the Austrian government due to Coronavirus concerns.
As a result, United are reimbursing fans that bought tickets through the club, as well at £350 each towards travel and accommodation. It has been reported it will cost around £245,000.
Injuries and Player Predictions
Anthony Martial collided with the post during the victory over Manchester City last week. He shared a photo on his Instagram showing cuts to both shins. He will be a doubt for this game, but Odion Ighalo is usually played in the Europa League anyway.
Other injuries and doubtfuls include Paul Pogba, Marcus Rashford, Lee Grant, Daniel James, and Aaron wan-Bissaka.
Ighalo came on in the 88th minute of the win over Manchester City, but he was still able to put up an amazing performance. The Nigerian showed great hold-up play, eventually leading to Scott McTominay‘s goal. He also played very impressively in recent Europa League matches, making him a major player in this competition.
Sergio Romero has been the starting keeper in the Europa League, and he’s been a great and reliable player, so he should be expected to get another start in goal.
United have been defensively solid over the past few weeks after allowing only two goals in their last ten matches across all competitions. Martial and Wan-Bissaka are two very important players for United, so in order to compensate for the loss, the team will need to play at their best.
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