Manchester United is gearing up for their second Europa League match of the season with a trip to Porto’s Dragon Stadium.
The Red Devils have a great chance to put their humiliating loss to Tottenham Hotspur behind them as they face a lower-rated team, Porto, in the Europa League early tomorrow morning. The Old Trafford squad completed their final training session before heading to Portugal.
Despite only being in Porto for a few days, midfielder Kobbie Mainoo brought along his Call of Duty gaming console to relax during his free time. The English star was subbed off early in the Tottenham defeat due to a hamstring injury but has since recovered.
Captain Bruno Fernandes had a disastrous match last weekend, and this return to his homeland offers the 30-year-old star an opportunity to regain fans’ trust.
Like Fernandes, defender Diogo Dalot is also eager to return home.
Matthijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui failed to perform well defensively against Spurs. Facing an inferior opponent like Porto, both players must seize the opportunity to regain their confidence.
Alejandro Garnacho looked particularly sharp ahead of the Porto match.
Goalkeeper Altay Bayindir made his debut for Manchester United this season in their 7-0 Carabao Cup win over Barnsley, but it is likely that manager Erik ten Hag will continue to trust Andre Onana early tomorrow.
Joshua Zirkzee has been under fire for his alarming goal drought. After scoring the match-winner against Fulham in the opening Premier League game, the Dutch star has struggled to find the net in his last five league matches.
Zirkzee’s poor form has also dragged down assistant coach Ruud van Nistelrooy, who has been criticized for failing to sharpen the Red Devils’ attackers.
Manager Erik ten Hag is under the most pressure at Manchester United after a series of disappointing results, but in his latest press conference, the Dutchman insisted he isn’t worried about losing his job.
Notably, according to The Sun, Manchester United’s flight to Portugal was delayed by three hours due to bad weather in Manchester. This shortened the Red Devils’ rest time after the flight, which could affect the players’ fitness.
