Manchester United welcome Nottingham Forest to Old Trafford in the second leg of their semi-final in 2022-23 Carabao Cup.
With a 3-0 lead from the first leg, Utd simply need to avoid defeat in order to qualify for the final although a loss would be enough if they concede two goals or fewer.
Forest meanwhile must score at least four goals if want to stage a stunning comeback, whilst a winning margin of three goals would see them take the tie to penalties.
Team News
Christian Eriksen is ruled out for Man Utd until late April after he suffered an ankle injury in their FA Cup win against Reading last weekend.
Scott McTominay (knock), Luke Shaw (illness) and Jadon Sancho (fitness) are doubts and could face late fitness tests.
Diogo Dalot (hamstring), Axel Tuanzebe (unspecified), Donny van de Beek (knee), Anthony Martial (leg) and Mason Greenwood (personal) remain absent.
Forest could be without Ryan Yates and Jack Colback after recent bouts of illness, although the pair will face late fitness tests.
Morgan Gibbs-White is ruled out with an ankle injury suffered during the first leg of this semi-final last week.
Dean Henderson (ineligible/muscle), Cheikhou Kouyate (hamstring), Giulian Biancone (knee), Moussa Niakhate (thigh), Omar Richards (leg), Chris Wood (ineligible/illness), and Taiwo Awoniyi (groin) remain absent.
When is Kick-Off?
Man Utd will host Forest at Old Trafford on Wednesday 1 February in a 8pm GMT kick-off, live on Sky Sports.
Stat Attack
- Man Utd are unbeaten in four previous League Cup meetings against Nottingham Forest (W4).
- Forest are winless in two previous League Cup visits to Old Trafford (L2).
- Man Utd have kept one clean sheet in two previous League Cup matches at home to Forest, except for a 2-1 win in November 1998.
- Marcus Rashford has scored five goals in four Carabao Cup appearances for Utd this season, with four of his five goals scored at Old Trafford.
- None of Forest’s eight yellow-card bookings in the competition this season have been made before half-time.
Prediction
Although Eriksen is a huge loss for Utd, I imagine that there will be partial relief amongst those at the club that they enter this leg with a 3-0 aggregate lead which hopefully will encourage Erik Ten Haag to rest some of his key players.
Utd though will need to be at their best after they were frustrated by Reading in their FA Cup clash on Saturday, yet clinical moments of magic proved the difference but I do expect them to come out and dominate again.
Forest meanwhile will feel down and out but with new Deadline Day signings providing tougher competition from the weekend onwards, this game is a chance for the current regulars to step up and prove why they deserve to retain their place for Sunday’s league clash against Leeds.
Steve Cooper’s Forest though will have to be defensively better than they were in the first leg because if Utd again opt for a strong line-up, I can’t see them winning here or overturning their deficit but hopefully they can at least try and make a contest of this match.
Prediction: Manchester United 2-0 Nottingham Forest
Result: Manchester United 2-0 Nottingham Forest (Manchester United win 5-0 on aggregate!!)
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