Manchester United face Manchester City in a derby at Old Trafford on Sunday, with Erik ten Hag’s side hoping to build on their recent success.
The Red Devils have won their last three games in all competitions, with victories over Brentford, Sheffield United, and Copenhagen. However, defending champions Manchester City will present a far more difficult task, and United will need to be at their best to win.
Aaron Wan-Bissaka has returned to training ahead of the derby, while Casemiro is in a “race against the clock” to be fit for Sunday, according to Ten Hag. The most recent Old Trafford news may be seen below.
Pep Guardiola answers to Facundo Pellistri’s remark in which he compares Manchester United to Manchester City.
Onana is defended by Guardiola.
Pep Guardiola, the manager of Manchester City, has praised Andre Onana, saying he has a “high opinion” of the United goalkeeper despite his troubles since joining from Inter Milan in the summer.
“I remember we have a common friend who spoke very highly of him but personally I met him in Amsterdam,” Guardiola said in his pre-match press conference. “He’s an exceptional player and now at United.
“Everyone needs time [to adapt to the Premier League], not just the managers but players, keepers. Everyone. Sometimes people are quicker but I have a high opinion of him as a keeper.”
Jamie Carragher has laid into Manchester United ( Image: PA)
Carragher criticises Ten Hag
Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher believes United’s style of play under Ten Hag is “stale” and claimed they are currently “in an unfulfilling holding pattern”.
“Manchester United resemble a team reaching the end of a cycle, not one still rebuilding under a relatively new manager,” Carragher said in a column for the Telegraph. “Despite winning their last three games, the football is stale and the symptoms of regression are visible; there is a lack of style and panache, few of Erik Ten Hag’s signings are consistently performing, and players such as Harry Maguire and Scott McTominay – who the manager was willing to discard last summer for the right price – are back in favour.
“United are in an unfulfilling holding pattern, seeking to eke out results and get by before their next refresh. Watching United’s victory against Copenhagen in midweek, the game reminded me of Gerard Houllier and Rafa Benitez’s final year at Liverpool, where it felt we were trying to find ways to win despite our general lack of quality, relying on ‘moments’ rather than brilliantly choreographed team patterns.”
Reports have claimed Casemiro is regretting his decision to join United ( Image: Getty Images)
Berbatov makes Casemiro claim
Former United striker Dimitar Berbatov has urged Ten Hag to start planning for life after Casemiro following reports from Spain that the midfielder is regretting his decision to join the club.
“I hope this is just a bad rumour because it’s going to bring unwanted heat towards him in a moment where he’s not playing how he used to play,” Berbatov told Betfair. “So, I hope it’s nothing but a rumour and that there’s nothing to it.
“Time is going by, and he’s getting older, so he needs to be smarter in how he plays the game, how he approaches games, how he reads the game. If United are going for a younger midfielder, who they’re going to build as a replacement, that’s not a problem. You can buy someone who is 21, take him in the team, try to slowly adjust them to English football, and you need this because Casemiro is 31.”