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Old 20-09-2017, 12:46 AM   #4
Andi Istiabudi
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Default Re: [EPL] Manchester United vs Burton Albion



PREVIEW: MANCHESTER UNITED V BURTON ALBION

Setting the scene... The Reds need little introduction to the Football League Cup, having lifted the trophy last season with a memorable 3-2 win over Southampton at Wembley. But there's a new name for the competition, the Carabao Cup, as United's defence of the silverware begins with a home tie on Wednesday night against Championship outfit Burton Albion. The Brewers have started the campaign with a set of mixed results and currently sit 19th in the second tier; however, Nigel Clough's side have saved their best form for the cup thus far, and have beaten both Oldham Athletic and Cardiff City to reach this stage. United are undoubtedly favourites going into this game, having claimed a huge 4-0 win over Everton on Sunday, to boost the Premier League points tally to 13 from a possible 15.

How can I watch it? The game kicks off at 20:00 BST and will be broadcast live on Sky Sports in the UK. Subscribers of MUTV on Sky or Virgin Media, the club's MUTV app or online at mutv.com will be able to watch build-up from 18:00 BST on the Match Day show and listen to radio commentary of the game before watching it in full from midnight. You can also keep up with all the action as it happens via ManUtd.com's live match blog and by following our official Twitter account @ManUtd.

Got any team news? Given the depth of United's squad, it is likely that Jose Mourinho will field a strong side to face Burton, despite already confirming that David De Gea, Antonio Valencia, Eric Bailly and Nemanja Matic will all be rested. Three other players who will not feature for the Reds are Paul Pogba, who picked up a hamstring injury last week against FC Basel, Marcos Rojo, who continues his recovery from a knee injury, and Axel Tuanzebe, who is ruled out with a back problem. For the visitors, summer signing Liam Boyce will once again be sidelined, deadline-day arrival John Brayford is unavailable due to being cup-tied, but recent absentees Hope Akpan and Matty Palmer could be in line to make a return to action.

How have Burton started the season? Following back-to-back promotions, the Brewers struggled in their first-ever season in the Championship last term and avoided the drop by just one point. However, despite a poor start to the 2017/18 campaign, there are signs that Burton are on the up in recent weeks. Clough brought 12 fresh faces to the Pirelli Stadium this summer and they may just be starting to gel as, although his side lost their opening three Championship matches, they have since claimed eight points from a possible 15. The run includes a 2-1 win over promotion-chasing Fulham on Saturday, which Clough described as arguably their best result since their promotion to the second tier, and a hard-fought away draw at Norwich City the week before. The sequence has enabled the East Midlands club to climb out of the relegation zone, buoyed by their impressive Carabao Cup run.

Have we met before? The third-round match will mark only the third time United have faced Burton in a competitive fixture, having only previously faced off in one FA Cup third-round tie and in the subsequent replay in January 2006. The Brewers, then a non-league team playing in the Conference, earned an impressive 0-0 draw at the Pirelli, despite the Reds' second-half introductions of Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney. However, Burton were not so resolute in the replay, as Sir Alex Ferguson's side brushed them aside to run out 5-0 winners at the Theatre of Dreams, courtesy of goals from Louis Saha, Kieran Richardson, Ryan Giggs and, scoring twice, Giuseppe Rossi.

Who is the referee? Graham Scott will take charge of his first-ever United match on Wednesday night. The 49-year-old from Oxfordshire has overseen two Premier League games so far this season - Watford's goalless draw with Brighton and Tottenham's 3-0 win at Everton. He will be assisted by Richard West and Adrian Holmes, with Mike Dean on fourth official duties.

Rivals watch... There are 15 other third-round ties taking place this week, with the draw for the fourth round set to take place immediately after United's tie on Wednesday night.

Tuesday 19 September (19:45 BST unless otherwise stated)
Brentford v Norwich City
Leicester City v Liverpool
Wolverhampton Wanderers v Bristol Rovers
AFC Bournemouth v Brighton and Hove Albion
Bristol City v Stoke City
Reading v Swansea City (20:00 BST)
West Ham United v Bolton Wanderers
Burnley v Leeds United
Aston Villa v Middlesbrough
Crystal Palace v Huddersfield Town
Tottenham Hotspur v Barnsley (20:00 BST)

Wednesday 20 September (19:45 BST unless otherwise stated)
Everton v Sunderland
Chelsea v Nottingham Forest
Arsenal v Doncaster Rovers
West Bromwich Albion v Manchester City (20:00 BST)

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