MY ACCOUNT
– United’s season restarted with 2-0 win over Burnley in Carabao Cup
– Forest also through to the Carabao Cup quarter-finals after 4-1 win at Blackburn
– Recommended bet: Manchester United to win 2-0
Manchester United’s bid to finish in at least the top four this season resumes when they host relegation-threatened Nottingham Forest on Tuesday.
United are huge favourites to restart their top-flight campaign with a home win against a Forest side who are in the bottom three and look every inch relegation candidates in their first season back in the Premier League since 1999, having picked up just three wins so far.
Erik Ten Hag’s side were fifth in the table going into the Boxing Day games and will be keen to pick up where they left off and maintain their top-four hopes after a 2-1 win at Fulham before the league action was paused in mid-November.
Team news
United centre-back Harry Maguire is expected to return after he missed the cup win over Burnley due to illness but Lisandro Martinez and Raphael Varane will not feature as they have both yet to return to club training following their exploits for World Cup finalists Argentina and France, respectively, in Qatar.
Axel Tuanzebe is back in training but will not be considered for the Forest clash and Diogo Dalot remains a major doubt with the injury he suffered playing for Portugal in the World Cup.
Antony will hope to start after coming off the bench against Burnley, but Jadon Sancho is again set to miss out.
Forest keeper Dean Henderson is ineligible against his parent club, so the visitors will hope his back-up, Wayne Hennessey, passes a late fitness test.
Serge Aurier and Morgan Gibbs-White are also both doubtful while Omar Richards, Giulian Biancone, Cheikhou Kouyate and Moussa Niakhate have all been ruled out through injury.
The stats
United have won four of their last five home league games, beating Liverpool, Arsenal, Tottenham and West Ham in that run with only Newcastle thwarting them at Old Trafford in what was a goalless draw on October 16.
Forest’s away form has been dismal with Steve Cooper’s side yet to win in seven league matches on the road so far, losing five times and drawing twice.
The East Midlands outfit have scored just one goal in the league away from home this term, Brennan Johnson’s effort in a 1-1 draw at Everton in August.
Jesse Lingard scored 35 goals in 232 senior appearances for Manchester United but is set to line up for Forest against his old club.
Prediction
Forest’s away form has been so bad this season that anything other than a home win would be a major surprise.
United eased back into action with a comfortable 2-0 win in the Carabao Cup over a dangerous Burnley side, who are top of the Championship, and they should have too much for a Forest outfit who look destined to be involved in the relegation scrap throughout the remainder of the campaign.
A home win to nil is available at 4/5 but a correct score of 2-0, available at 5/1 with LiveScore Bet, could be the best way to go for more value.
