WOLVES vs MAN UTD
- Wolves are looking to beat the Red Devils twice in the same season
- Paul Pogba has been directly involved in five of United’s last eight league goals
- Wolves have earned 10 points against the established top six
- Solskjaer’s side have lost their last two away matches in all competitions
- Manchester United star Marcus Rashford out through illness
Wolves XI: Patricio, Bennett, Coady, Boly, Doherty, Dendoncker, Neves, Moutinho, Vinagre, Jota, Jimenez.
Subs: Ruddy, Saiss, Jonny, Gibbs-White, Traore, Costa, Cavaleiro.
Manchester United XI: De Gea, Young, Smalling, Lindelof, Shaw, Dalot, McTominay, Pogba, Fred, Lingard, Lukaku.
Subs: Romero, Jones, Rojo, Matic, Pereira, Mata, Martial.
PP and ZZ fine with OGS
19:15: Ole Gunnar Solskjaer believes his strong bond with Paul Pogba means the Frenchman is fully committed to Manchester United.
But what about those pesky rumours of a mega-money move to Real Madrid, Ole?!
Pogba recently remarked while on international duty that Real are a “dream” club and those comments did not go unnoticed at the LaLiga giants, whose head coach Zinedine Zidane revealed that he liked his compatriot “a lot” over the weekend.
Asked whether Zidane had irked him by speaking about Pogba, the United manager replied: “It doesn’t really concern me because my thought of action then is to sit down and speak to Paul. I’ve had my chat with Paul and we’re fine.
“He’s going to do his utmost here because he knows that I’m very fond of him as a player and a person and he’s important for us here. It’s no issue. He’s happy here.”
Wolves vs Man Utd LIVE: Premier League, score, table and fixtures (Image: GETTY)
Elsewhere…
19:10: Molineux isn’t the only ticket in town folks. There’s another, perhaps more important fixture, elsewhere.
Fulham travel to Watford knowing a defeat will see them follow Huddersfield into the Championship with five games still to play.
Watford: Foster, Femenia, Mariappa, Cathcart, Holebas, Doucoure, Capoue, Hughes, Pereyra, Deulofeu, Deeney.
Fulham: Sergio Rico, Chambers, Le Marchand, Ream, Christie, Cairney, Zambo, Bryan, Babel, Mitrovic, Ryan Sessegnon.
OGS explains
19:05: Ole Gunnar Solskjaer speaking ahead of tonight’s clash: “Ander and Rashy weren’t fit for the game. Anthony got a knock as well. He will be able to come on if needed. Scott and Fred, fresh legs, energy in there. Hopefully we can benefit from that.”
Mystery solved.
Wolves vs Man Utd LIVE: Premier League, score, table and fixtures (Image: GETTY)
Twitter round-up
Tommy: Strange team that, Some enforced changes. But who cares we went and won in Paris with a weaker team than that! COME ON UNITED! It’s a must win!
Peter: Why are people worried Marcus Rashford is not playing tonight!?? Sure he has been poor for the past 4 or 5 game’s so will it be that much of a miss right now.
Grant: No Rashford, Herrera. Martial on the bench. Looks like it will be Dalot, Lukaku and Lingard up top. How’s everyone feeling?
I’m feeling pretty good thanks, Grant. Pretty good.
Wolves vs Man Utd LIVE: Premier League, score, table and fixtures (Image: GETTY)
Team News – Manchester United
19:00: Do my eyes deceive me? Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has made SIX changes from the side who beat Watford on Saturday.
You’ll have to forgive me – I’m struggling to understand the formation.
Obviously Marcus Rashford drops out through illness – but that makes room for Romelu Lukaku to lead the line with Jesse Lingard in support.
Elsewhere Victor Lindelof, Fred, Scott McTominay and Diogo Dalot return to the starting XI.
Does that leave McTominay in a back three and Dalot on the right flank?
Wolves vs Man Utd LIVE: Premier League, score, table and fixtures (Image: GETTY)
Team News – Wolves
18:53: Nuno Espirito Santo doesn’t give a damn about Wolves’ FA Cup semi-final – he’s gone full strength against Manchester United tonight.
That means Raul Jimenez returns alongside Matt Doherty, Ryan Bennett and Ruben Vinagre. Romain Saiss, Adama Traore, Jonny and Ivan Cavaleiro drop to the bench.
Just as well really, I think I would implode with frustration at watching Traore for 90 minutes.
Beware: Dangerous Wolves
18:50: Wolves have won more points against ‘big six’ sides in the Premier League this season than any of the other 14 teams in the competition (10 – W2 D4 L3).
The starting XI…
18:45: No Marcus Rashford but there’s a start for Romelu Lukaku, who is back from injury.
Wolves XI: Patricio, Bennett, Coady, Boly, Doherty, Dendoncker, Neves, Moutinho, Vinagre, Jota, Jimenez.
Subs: Ruddy, Saiss, Jonny, Gibbs-White, Traore, Costa, Cavaleiro.
Manchester United XI: De Gea, Young, Smalling, Lindelof, Shaw, Dalot, McTominay, Pogba, Fred, Lingard, Lukaku.
Subs: Romero, Jones, Rojo, Matic, Pereira, Mata, Martial.
Wolves vs Man Utd LIVE: Premier League, score, table and fixtures (Image: GETTY)
Rashy out!
18:40: I’m sorry Fantasy Football managers and Manchester United supporters – but Marcus Rashford is OUT of tonight’s clash.
“Marcus Rashford not with the United squad that has arrived at Molineux. Won’t play because of illness,” says Rob Dawson of ESPN.
Rashford travelled with the rest of the United squad but was taken ill at the team hotel earlier today and sent home.
Molineux test for Ole’s United
18:35: Ole Gunnar Solskjaer richly deserved the permanent role at Old Trafford.
Yet as so often happens, confirmation of his appointment has come alongside questions about United’s recent form.
Two successive defeats were snapped by a wholly unconvincing win over Watford at the weekend.
The way United respond at Wolves – who deservedly knocked the Red Devils out of the FA Cup last month – will provide a big demonstration of Solskjaer’s managerial capabilities.
Wolves vs Man Utd LIVE: Premier League, score, table and fixtures (Image: REUTERS)
Evening…
18:30: Hello folks and welcome to our LIVE coverage of the Premier League.
What’s this? A midweek game between Wolves and Manchester United at Molineux? Feels quite familiar…
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s team are back in the Black Country tonight hopeful of reversing last month’s 2-1 FA Cup quarter-final defeat..
There’s obviously plenty at stake with Arsenal having powered into third position yesterday.
The Red Devils could leapfrog Tottenham and Arsenal with a victory.
So Tottenham could go from third to fifth in the space of three days? If only Moussa Sissoko had a left foot, right?
Wolves vs Man Utd LIVE: Premier League, score, table and fixtures (Image: GETTY)
WOLVES vs MAN UTD – PREMIER LEAGUE TEAM NEWS
Ryan Bennett returns to the Wolves squad for their home game against Manchester United.
The defender has completed a two-match suspension in the Premier League after receiving his 10th yellow card of the season in the competition during the home win over Cardiff a month ago.
Wanderers boss Nuno Espirito Santo, who has a full squad to choose from, must decide whether Bennett goes straight back into the starting line up.
Anthony Martial and Romelu Lukaku are expected to be available.
Martial scored what turned out to be the winner in United’s 2-1 victory over Watford but later limped off at Old Trafford over the weekend, while Lukaku has been struggling with a foot injury in recent weeks.
Solskjaer, though, revealed that the forward pair are in contention for the trip to Molineux. Alexis Sanchez, Antonio Valencia and Matteo Darmian continue to miss out, however.