The Red Devils made it to the FA Cup final, despite almost collapsing against Coventry. Meanwhile, Sheffield United's chances of staying in the Premier League are looking bleak. Most of Man United's players seemed almost ashamed to celebrate reaching their second FA Cup final in as many years, and for good reason. Coventry City nearly pulled off one of the most dramatic comebacks in FA Cup history, channeling their inner 2005 Liverpool and almost knocking out the Red Devils.
Man United were leading 3-0 with 20 minutes to go, but Coventry City made an astonishing comeback to force extra time. Victor Torp thought he'd scored a last-minute winner, sending Coventry's fans into a frenzy, but the goal was ruled out for offside.
Man United eventually steadied their nerves to win on penalties, setting up a repeat of last year's final with Manchester City. Despite advancing, many felt like Man United had lost the semi-final.
Erik ten Hag's team has struggled lately, failing to win in 90 minutes in their last six matches. Their Premier League form has also dipped, with four games without a victory, which has put their Champions League hopes in serious jeopardy. They're now seventh in the table, 16 points behind the top four with only 18 points left to play for.
Man United's defense has been far from solid, conceding 11 goals in their last four matches. They allow too many shots, and their opponents on Wednesday, Sheffield United, are also struggling defensively. Sheffield United set an unwanted Premier League record by becoming the first team to concede 50 goals at home in a single season, thanks to a heavy 4-1 loss against Burnley last weekend.
Despite a brief moment of hope from Gustavo Hamer's goal, Sheffield United are now 10 points from safety with just five games left. They also have a tough schedule ahead, with trips to Newcastle United and a home game against Tottenham Hotspur. The likelihood of them staying in the Premier League is slim.
The only positive note for Sheffield United fans is that they defeated Manchester United at Old Trafford in January 2021, and their recent encounter this season, where Man United only narrowly won 2-1 at Bramall Lane, was hardly convincing. However, Sheffield United's dismal form means that this could be one of their last Premier League games for a while.
INJURIES & SUSPENSION
Manchester United's injury troubles just keep getting worse. They were already dealing with the absences of Jonny Evans (muscle), Raphael Varane (muscle), Lisandro Martinez (calf), Victor Lindelof (hamstring), Luke Shaw (thigh), Tyrell Malacia (muscle), and Anthony Martial (groin). Now, things got even more complicated just before and during the FA Cup semi-final, but that's no excuse for how they nearly fell apart.In fact, Willy Kambwala, Mason Mount, and Sofyan Amrabat couldn't even make it to the matchday squad. Scott McTominay and Marcus Rashford had to be pulled out at the last minute and were seen limping to the team bus, casting doubt on their availability for this game. And Harry Maguire seemed to be struggling towards the end of the 120-minute marathon.
If his issue is serious, manager Erik ten Hag might be left without any senior center-backs for Wednesday's match against Sheffield United. That might force him to call on 18-year-old academy player Louis Jackson, who was on the bench for the semi-final.
Sheffield United also has its share of injury woes. Their manager, Chris Wilder, had to pull off goalscorer Gustavo Hamer in the 78th minute of the game against Burnley, but thankfully it doesn’t seem to be anything major. However, the list of absentees for the Blades is still long.
Tom Davies (thigh), George Baldock (calf), Daniel Jebbison (illness), John Egan (ankle), Chris Basham (ankle), Rhys Norrington-Davies (thigh), and Max Lowe (ankle) are all dealing with various issues, though Davies and Jebbison are back in light training.
Rhian Brewster (thigh) and Jack Robinson (ankle) are getting closer to being ready to play, but Wilder is likely to stick with the same squad from the weekend. He might consider a few tweaks, potentially bringing Cameron Archer back into the forward line. Both teams are struggling to stay healthy, so it could be an interesting clash given all these injury concerns.
POSSIBLE LINE-UPS
Manchester United possible starting lineup:Onana; Dalot, Casemiro, Maguire, Wan-Bissaka; Mainoo, Eriksen; Antony, Fernandes, Garnacho; Hojlund
Sheffield United possible starting lineup:
Grbic; Ahmedhodzic, Holgate, Trusty; Bogle, Souza, McAtee, Arblaster, Osborn; Brereton Diaz, Archer
EXPERT PREDICTION
Manchester United 3-2 Sheffield United
Manchester United have had a rough go of it lately, barely scraping through to the FA Cup final by winning on penalties at Wembley. They're also giving away goals left and right against almost every team they face, so it's hard to expect them to completely crush a weaker Sheffield United team, even if they should theoretically win on paper.
Given that both teams are known for leaking goals, this match could easily end up with both sides scoring, even if fatigue starts to set in. It might not be the most beautiful football, but Man United should come out on top, thanks to their deeper bench and stronger attacking options.
