Manchester United visited the Etihad Stadium on Sunday to challenge Manchester City, and number one star Cristiano Ronaldo is likely to be absent. Manchester United assembled at the Laurie Hotel in Manchester on Saturday, and Cristiano Ronaldo did not show up.
Ronnick stayed with 21 players in the hotel before the game, but Cristiano Ronaldo and Cavani were absent at the same time. The reason for Ronaldo's non-appearance is unknown, and it may be that he accidentally suffered an injury during Manchester United's pre-match training.
Ronnick, who had expected to return to the squad, did not arrive at the hotel, not only that, but Varane and Luke Shaw were also not among them, Erik Baii was in the Premier League matchday squad for the first time in two months, and Phil Jones was also called up.
It should be noted that although Manchester United are playing away, since the game is played in Manchester, the above players, although they did not follow the whole team to the hotel, may still join the team before the start of the match to participate in the Manchester City derby against Manchester City.
If Ronaldo is absent, it will certainly be the most concerned news, and Longnick will reveal the reason in an interview an hour before the game. However, if the Portuguese superstar is absent due to injury, it may be a blessing for Manchester United, because the Red Devils have beaten Manchester City four times in the past, all of which have relied on steady defense.
Although Cristiano Ronaldo has scored 15 goals this season, in a strong dialogue like Manchester City, England's margaret Rashford's style is more suitable. Speaking in a pre-match press conference, Lonnick said: "Marcus (Marcus Rashford) has a lot of talent, he has the speed, the physical qualities and everything he needs as a modern striker, whether it's playing on the flanks or in the middle. In the final months of the season, I will do everything in my power to make sure he is on the same path as the other players."
Once Cristiano Ronaldo and Cavani are confirmed to be absent, Lonnick will only have 3 strikers in Rashford, Sancho and Anthony Erlanga, and only Jesse Lingard and Mata can use the bench. As for the defensive line, even if Varane can't compete, there are still Maguire, Lindlev, Bai and Jones to choose from, Brazil international Telles can replace Luke Shaw's left-back position, Diogu Dalo can be left and right, and United's full-back still has plenty of thickness.
The leaders, Manchester City, are naturally the big favourites in this Manchester City derby, and they need to win the liverpool that are chasing behind them, and if they lose, Guardiola's team will have only a three-point lead in one more game. But Lonnick insisted he had seen enough progress in his three months in charge and believed the Red Devils had a chance to upset.
"I don't know if United win, can it be called a shocking result," Lonnick analyzed, "in theory, Manchester City seems to be the favourite for this game, but the game is not determined by theory, but by the performance on the pitch." I believe United can win games and we can create opportunities, but it is very important that we cannot let our opponents dominate the game like the first leg in November, and that is the key to winning or losing this derby."
Manchester United's confirmed squad of visits to Manchester City: De Gea, Dean Henderson, Tom Heaton; Dalo, Wan Bissaka, Jones, Maguire, Bai, Lindliff, Alex Tres; Nemanja Matic, McTomine, Fred, Pogba, Hannibal Megbri, Lingard, Mata, Bruno Fernandez; Sancho, Elanga, Rashford.