After a demanding start to 2023 that saw us play 36 times in the 19 weeks since the domestic season resumed after the World Cup, the Reds are sure to be rejuvenated.
Erik ten Hag will be hoping the current break, together with the outstanding home form displayed this season, can help us cross the finish line in the battle for Champions League football.
The run of fixtures may have caught up with us after defeats at Brighton and Hove Albion and West Ham United.
With a win over an already-safe Wolves team, United can really put pressure on Liverpool, which is presently one point behind them in fifth place and visits relegation-threatened Leicester on Monday night.
In his remarks to press on Friday afternoon, Ten Hag provided some team news prior to the meeting with Julen Lopetegui’s crew.
Raphael Varane, a former France international, has been out for a month after suffering a foot injury during the first half of April’s 2-2 draw with Sevilla. He is about to make his return.
However, there are questions about the participation of leading scorer Marcus Rashford.
“He has a problem, he has an injury to his leg, so he is a big question mark for tomorrow,” said Ten Hag. But Rapha Varane’s return makes us pleased.
“[Rashford] is more than a little dubious. Thus, there is a significant question mark.
Alejandro Garnacho is once again a forward option, though the absence of 29-goal scorer Marcus Rashford would definitely be a blow before such a crucial match.
The 18-year-old has profited from working at Carrington and was a substitute in the matchday squad at West Ham.
He definitely has one more week of training left, said Erik. He is accessible, and we have seen that he can add something special to the team, so yeah.
After a stretch of games alongside Victor Lindelof in the center of defense, Varane’s return may also allow Luke Shaw to play in his usual left-back position.
Tom Heaton and Scott McTominay are expected to be sidelined once more, and Donny van de Beek and Lisandro Martinez are both out for the year.
The Black Country team has been operating without Sasa Kalajdzic, Boubacar Traore, and Chiquinho for some time now, thus Wolves have no new absentees for their journey to M16.
