MATCH PREVIEW: SWANSEA V UNITED
REPORTS & PREVIEWS
23/10/2017 17:00, Report by Matt Bullin
MATCH PREVIEW: SWANSEA V UNITED
Setting the scene... The Reds continue the defence of our League Cup crown on Tuesday night, as we travel to the Liberty Stadium to take on Swansea City. The match will also provide United with a welcome opportunity to put things right after the disappointing defeat to Huddersfield Town on Saturday. However, United should be high on confidence going into the Carabao Cup fourth-round clash, having cruised past Burton Albion to reach this stage. Meanwhile, 2013 League Cup champions Swansea, beat Reading back in September to set up this encounter.
How can I watch? The game will kick off at 19:45 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 17:45 BST on the Match Day show and listen to radio commentary of the game before watching it in full on Sunday at 18:00 BST. 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.
Any team news for me? Eric Bailly may be in line to make his first United appearance since before the latest international break, as Mourinho revealed in Friday's press conference that the Ivorian could return "next week". However, Phil Jones must be assessed after leaving the field early in Saturday's loss, while we could be without Michael Carrick, Marouane Fellaini, Marcos Rojo, Paul Pogba and Zlatan Ibrahimovic. For the hosts, Kyle Bartley (knee), Renato Sanches (thigh) and Wilfried Bony (thigh) are ruled out through injury, while Leroy Fer will miss the game through suspension.
What sort of form are Swansea in? A defeat at the hands of managerless Leicester City on Saturday marked the Swans' fifth Premier League reverse of the season, and the result also meant the south Wales side have picked up just four points from their last six league outings. In spite of that, having already surpassed last season's efforts in the League Cup (a third round defeat to Manchester City), a cup run would be a welcome respite for the club, given their indifferent league form, and a goalless draw with Spurs earlier in the season illustrates they do have the ability to mix it with the big boys, on occasion.
Last time we met... Our last trip to south Wales will hold welcome memories for travelling Reds, as earlier in 2017/18, United thrashed Swansea 4-0 at the Liberty. In our second league fixture of the season, goals from Romelu Lukaku, Pogba, Bailly and Anthony Martial handed Mourinho's men a fine three points - a result we will look to replicate on Tuesday night.
Did you know? This match will mark United's first ever League Cup encounter with Swansea, and the club's 31st meeting overall (13 Premier League, 12 Division Two, four Division One, and one FA Cup).
