Manchester United would never have expected to cruise into the Champions League this season but they cannot have expected Sheffield United to be one of the teams challenging them for a place.
The Blades, who have been the standout surprise package of the 2019-20 Premier League season, are just two points behind Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side and could leapfrog them into fifth.
With Manchester City currently banned from next season’s Champions League, pending an appeal at the Court of Arbitration for Sport where a decision is expected next month, the fifth-place finishers in the top flight will qualify in their place, meaning Sheffield United are within touching distance of a place at Europe’s top table.
The South Yorkshire side have already been watched around the world once since the restart having visited Aston Villa to play the very first game of the Premier League’s resumption.
How to watch Man Utd vs Sheff Utd
They will once again be the centre of attention when they play one of the free-to-air Premier League matches that are part of this unique period of football.
Their match on Wednesday 24 June will kick off at 6pm live on Sky Sports Pick, available on Freeview, Youview, BT TV and TalkTalk channel 11 and Sky channel 159. On Freesat, Pick is on channel 144.
Existing Sky Sports subscribers can still watch the game in all the usual ways on Sky Sports Main Event and Premier League, with coverage starting at 5pm.
There will be competition for viewers in the early slot as the BBC will also be carrying their second ever live Premier League game.
On Saturday night, Gary Lineker hosted Match of the Day Live as Bournemouth took on Crystal Palace, and this time around he will introduce Norwich vs Everton, a game with serious ramifications at the other end of the Premier League table.
Free-to-air the new normal
Sky Sports have already confirmed another nine fixtures that will be simulcast on Pick. They are:
- Thursday 25 June, Burnley vs Watford, 6pm
- Sunday 28 June, Watford vs Southampton, 4.30pm
- Tuesday 30 June, Brighton vs Man Utd, 8.15pm
- Wednesday 1 July, Bournemouth vs Newcastle, 6pm
- Saturday 4 July, Leicester vs Crystal Palace, 3pm
- Sunday 5 July, Burnley vs Sheff Utd, 12pm
- Thursday 9 July, Bournemouth vs Tottenham, 6pm
- Sunday 12 July, Bournemouth vs Leicester, 7pm
- Monday 13 July, Man Utd vs Southampton, 8pm
Man Utd team news
United fans were glad to see Paul Pogba back on the pitch for the first time since Boxing Day and there was plenty of excitement at seeing him and January signing Bruno Fernandes play together for the first time.
With a relatively lengthy turnaround – they played Tottenham on Friday night while their opponents were in action on Sunday – Solskjaer will not be forced to rotate so much and could be tempted to start both men in midfield with the likes of Fred or Scott McTominay likely to be the yang to their attacking ying.
Axel Tuanzebe and Phil Jones are likely to still be missing while Victor Lindelof limped off against Tottenham meaning Solskjaer could be forced to recall Eric Bailly at centre-back.
Sheff Utd team news
Goalkeeper Dean Henderson will not be allowed to play against his parent club and either Simon Moore or Michael Verrips, who have just one Premier League appearance between them, will start in goal at Old Trafford.
There are other problems at the back too with John Egan suspended after being sent off against Newcastle, and Jack O’Connell and Phil Jagielka dealing with ankle and knee injuries that are said to be “day-to-day”.
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from Football – inews.co.uk https://ift.tt/2Z0XEFs
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