Saturday 4 May 2019

Match preview: Huddersfield Town vs Man Utd

United's under-fire keeper David De Gea will keep his place between the sticks for our penultimate game of the season at relegated Huddersfield.
De Gea has endured the worst goalkeeper crisis of his career after a string of high profile errors in recent weeks, including Chelsea's damaging leveller last time out at Old Trafford. That had led many to question whether he should be dropped but, with back up Sergio Romero injured, manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will keep faith with Dave.

In terms of their gossamer thin top-four chances, all United can do is win and hope for the unexpected elsewhere.
As bizarre as it seems though, their own victory might be the part that lets them down - even at a ground where 14 others have won away this season. Huddersfield achieved what many thought nigh on impossible by surviving last season on their debut campaign at this level, but Jan Siewert's side have suffered a nasty bout of second-season syndrome to sink back into the second tier almost without trace - pilfering a second-lowest ever points tally of 14 in the process.
Their goals-for column is a joint record low of 20, equalled only by the Derby County side of 2007/08 that will be remembered as the Premier League's worst ever. Huddersfield's 2-0 defeat at Palace on 30 March also equalled yet
another unwanted record for the league's earliest relegation. In short, they have been terribly out of their depth and surely even we cannot mess this one up.

 Huddersfield, who have propped up the table since December, joined Derby County and Ipswich Town as the only teams in Premier League history to be relegated with six games left to play.
Their forward Laurent Depoitre is in contention for a first appearance in more than two months after recovering from a foot injury.
Mathias Jorgensen is out because of illness but Aaron Mooy and Ben Hamer are back in training.
Manchester United are missing Eric Bailly, whose season was ended by a knee injury sustained last weekend.
Chris Smalling, Phil Jones, Romelu Lukaku, Paul Pogba and Jesse Lingard are doubts, but Marcus Rashford is fit. Highly rated Academy starlet Mason Greenwood would have been involved if not for injury, but the likes of Academy graduates Tahith Chong, Angel Gomes and James Garner will be hoping to feature as Solskjaer looks set to shuffle his pack. This dead rubber could be a final chance to players who could leave in the summer, and allow Solskjaer to decide who he keeps and who must go against the fodder of Huddersfield and Cardiff - sides we should be beating no matter who plays.

Solskjaer said: "In long-term planning we have to think about being in the Champions League next year and the fact we might not be [in it].
"You would be surprised how many players' agents have been telling us their players would love to be a part of Manchester United in the future.
"That is the lure and the potential and size of the club, and we will get back to the good days."

Form guide: Huddersfield Town L L L L L L  Man Utd  L W L L L D
Match odds: Huddersfield Town 11/1 Draw 6/1 Man Utd 1/3
Referee: Lee Mason (Bolton)

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