Wan-Bissaka handed dilemma that could impact Man Utd and Ten Hag
Manchester United are back in action when they travel to Everton on Sunday.
The Red Devils have not played since before the international break when they secured a 1-0 win over Luton thanks to Victor Lindelof's second-half strike. That was United's fourth win in five Premier League matches, a run of form that has seen them move up to sixth in the table.
And Erik ten Hag will be keen for United to earn yet another victory at Goodison Park, although it's poised to be a difficult test given Everton's recent form. Sean Dyche's side have won three of their last five league games, although the Toffees were docked 10 points last week for breaching Premier League profit and sustainability rules. Here is the latest news from Old Trafford.
Wan-Bissaka's international dilemma
United could be set to lose Aaron Wan-Bissaka for nine matches after the right-back was approached by the Democratic Republic of Congo to play for them at the Africa Cup of Nations.
Wan-Bissaka has been capped three times by England under-21s but has never featured for the senior set up, with Kyle Walker, Reece James, Kieran Trippier and Trent Alexander-Arnold all above him in the pecking order.
Marcel Sabitzer completes Man Utd transfer after last-minute deadline day dash
And DR Congo are trying to take advantage of his lack of opportunities with England and lure him to play for them at ACFON in January, according to The Athletic. ACFON is set to start on January 13, with Congo in a group alongside Zambia, Morocco and Tanzania.
Wan-Bissaka's absence would be a blow to Ten Hag, who is also set to lose Andre Onana to the tournament as he prepares to compete with Cameroon.
Aaron Wan-Bissaka could feature for DR Congo at AFCON (Getty Images)Ten Hag on United away run
United boss Ten Hag is hoping his side can keep up their impressive record on the road as they prepare for three successive away matches in seven days.
The Red Devils have won three of their last four fixtures away from home, with their only loss coming against Copenhagen in the Champions League. "All games are very important, but our away record this season so far is very good," said Ten Hag. "We can take confidence and strong belief into those games. But we need to go from game to game, the first game is the most important - Everton - and we’re looking forward to it."
When quizzed about whether United will be able to handle hostile welcomes as they prepare to travel to Everton, Galatasaray and Newcastle, Ten Hag added: "You could see that this team has personality and character in hostile environments, like in Copenhagen.
"We deal with it. I feel quite comfortable away from home. We are, say, one third through the season. It was a tough start, as we've seen, but I think we're catching up. From the last five games, we’ve won four. So we're in a good mood and I think we're heading in the right direction.
"Before we go into that intense programme in December, I think we're building confidence. We're building strong beliefs and we're also building some routines. Now we hope we can more or less stay with the same lineup or with 12 to 14 players, because I think so far that was our difficulty. Every time we had to change and we didn't develop routines."
Read more here.
Manchester United lost their last away game - a 4-3 defeat at Copenhagen (Getty Images)Silvestre's Everton prediction
Ex-United defender Mikael Silvestre is expecting Everton to give the Red Devils a "tough game" on Sunday.
Sean Dyche's side have won three of their last five Premier League matches but find themselves in the relegation zone after being docked 10 points for breaching profit and sustainability rules.
Man Utd deadline day live updates as Sabitzer completes loan move
"I'm trying to think about the players' mindset. Everton will continue," Silvestre told bettingexpert.com. "They're on a good run and have been picking up points. So I think it will be a tough game for United."
"Every time when you come back from the international break, the coach has to pick up the pieces and it's tough. Players are tired physically and mentally. So, yeah it will be another test. The last few games for Man Utd, they've been winning apart from the derby obviously. The fighting spirit is there and they’ll need it against Everton.
"Everton have had that since the beginning of the season. They know they are going to be in a dogfight and United has to at least be at the same intensity and aggression for that fixture."
Read more similar news:
Comments:
comments powered by Disqus
