Key events
Hmm.
Music choice here at Molineux mocking Rashford: a cover of Tequila of Terrorvision followed by Tequila by The Champs #mufc
-Chris Wheeler (@ChrisWheelerDM) February 1, 2024
Erik ten Hag is speaking to TNT. But not too effusively on the subject of Rashford, which inevitably comes up first. “He's taken responsibility,” he says, “so case closed, we move on.” Does Rashford feel he has something to prove? “Like I said, case closed, we move on.”
When asked if this is the closest he has come this season to fielding his strongest team, he says: “Yes, I think so, it could be. We know that some (of them) have to regain the rhythm of the game, but we have some good players back: Casemiro, Luke Shaw, Martínez.” He calls the Wolves “a tough opponent… but we beat them at the start of the season, so we're confident.”
Wolves don't change. after defeating their neighbors West Brom in the FA Cup. And their bench is looking healthier, with Joao Gomes recovered from his suspension and Pablo Sarabia fit enough to play some part in the game.
United's bench is a puzzle with a couple of obvious holes: there is no full-back or centre-forward. At the back, Willy Kambwala may be asked to fill in on the flanks. Up front, Erik ten Hag does not appear to be a fan of Charlie McNeill, the only fit striker alongside Rasmus Hojlund. Which makes it more likely that Rashford will play the full 90 minutes, as he is the only man who could be in the middle if Hojlund is working hard.
Complete teams
Wolves (probably 3-4-2-1) sa; Kilman, Dawson, Toti; Semedo, M Lemina, Doyle, Doherty; Neto, Cunha; Bellagarde.
Substitutes: Bentley, H Bueno, S Bueno, Ait-Nouri, Gomes, Hodge, Chirewa, Sarabia, Fraser.
Man United (probably 4-1-2-3) Onana; Dalot, Varane, Martínez, Shaw; Casemiro; Mainoo, Fernandes; Garnacho, Hojlund, Rashford.
Substitutes: Bayindir, Kambwala, Maguire, Evans, Eriksen, McTominay, Amad, Antony, Forson.
Referee Jared Gillett.
Team Breaking News: Rashford Starts!
Marcus Rashford returns to the United XI at the expense of Antony. The only other change from the team that achieved a shaky victory in Newport is André Onana, back in goal in place of his substitute Altay Bayindir.
Preamble
Hello, good evening and welcome to a fight in the middle of the table The big game tonight in the first division. With apologies to West Ham and Bournemouth, any match involving Man United is still a story, especially when one of their stars has become the prodigal son.
Wolves need not worry too much – they are sitting comfortably after picking up 14 points from their last seven league games. United may have forgotten what comfort feels like. They have lost so many times this season (14 times in all competitions) that now every game is an embarrassment waiting to happen.
In terms of form, this looks a lot like a home win. Wolves have won five of their last eight league games at Molineux and drawn the other three. During that run, they had three visitors from the so-called Big Six (Man City, Spurs and Chelsea) and dismissed them all with zero points.
Meanwhile, United's away form has not gone from bad to worse, with three defeats in the league's last four. The other game was the only pleasant surprise they have given their traveling fans all season, when they somehow managed to get a point at Anfield.
If Gary O'Neil's clever tactics secure a win tonight, Wolves will burst into the top half of the table and overtake United, whose goal difference always seems to be on their rivals' side. If the other returnees of Luke Shaw and Erik ten Hag can get a win, United will jump from ninth to seventh place, leapfrogging Newcastle and Brighton. They can achieve the same effect with a tie, but that won't get them out of the deadlock.
Will Marcus Rashford play? And if he does, will he maintain his little-noticed return to form or will he once again look lost? The last time Ten Hag suspended him, 13 months ago, United's next game was at…Molineux. Left on the bench, Rashford came on at half-time and scored the only goal of the game. His teammates (and his 17 million Instagram followers) may feel he owes them a replay.
Kick-off is at 8:15 p.m., for reasons best known to TNT Sports. I'll be back soon with the teams.
