Manchester United travel to the Liberty Stadium to take on Swansea City in their Carabao Cup Round of 16 tie.
Manchester United come into the match on the back of a disappointing 2-1 loss to minnows Huddersfield Town in the Premier League on Saturday, when a second-half goal from Marcus Rashford wasn’t enough to trigger a fightback as first-half goals from Aaron Mooy and Laurent Depoitre helped the hosts triumph over Jose Mourinho’s men. This was Huddersfield’s first encounter with Manchester United in over 40 years, and their win was their first in 65 years over the club at Old Trafford. Having lost two points in the Liverpool draw last week and after this defeat, United now trail leaders Manchester City by five points just 9 games into the season. Also, Tottenham are now level on points with United, but are third due to an inferior goal difference. United booked their place in the Fourth Round of the League Cup with a 4-1 win over Burton Albion in the previous round.
Swansea City also come into the match on the back of a 2-1 loss to managerless Leicester City in the league on Saturday, meaning that they now have won only four points from their last six league games. The loss means that they are now 16th in the standings with eight points. They booked their place in the Fourth Round of the League Cup after a 2-0 victory over Reading in September.
In team news, United will still be without long-term absentees Paul Pogba and Zlatan Ibrahimovic, while Marcos Rojo and Eric Bailly are still on their return to full fitness. It is unclear if Marouane Fellaini has recovered from his knee injury, while Phil Jones is expected to miss the match after coming off early on Saturday, and Mourinho is yet to confirm Michael Carrick’s fitness level. For the hosts, though, Wilfred Bony and Renato Sanches are out with thigh injuries, Kyle Bartley is out with a knee injury and Leroy Fer will be out with suspension.
Mourinho is expected to heavily rotate his side, but could still field a strong side which could include the likes of Martial, Mata, Lingard, Matic and Herrera.
Manchester United will be playing their second match as defending champions, and after a poor run of three games, with unconvincing performances against Liverpool, Benfica and Huddersfield. However, they’ll have an extra incentive to triumph over the Swans on Tuesday, as a thumping win could boost the squad’s mood ahead of a crucial tie against Tottenham at the weekend. The hosts would also be in for a shock victory, as they’d obviously want to enjoy a longer Cup run after disappointing showings in the league. United, however, cannot afford any slip-ups and I’ll put my money on a one-sided victory to the visitors. Expect loads of goals tonight!