Manchester United fixture set to be re-arranged after Thursday night development
Manchester United are about to see one of their fixtures rearranged in the second half of the season after events away from Old Trafford on Thursday night.
The Red Devils drew 4-4 with Bournemouth last Monday, but have since had a clear week to prepare for their difficult trip to face Aston Villa on Sunday.
United are plotting to raid Bournemouth for Antoine Semenyo in January, in a move that would likely breathe new life into their push for Champions League football.
Ruben Amorim’s side are two points off the pace of Chelsea, who sit in fourth place at the moment, but that situation could easily change if they have a strong winter window.
Man United vs Crystal Palace fixture to be rearranged
United haven’t had European football to contend with this term, but they are now set to be impacted by events from the latest round of continental games that took place on Thursday night.
Crystal Palace have endured some mixed fortunes in their UEFA Conference League campaign, and they could only secure a 2-2 draw with Finnish side KuPS Kuopio at Selhurst Park in midweek.
Justin Devenny’s 76th-minute equaliser briefly gave the Eagles hope of securing an all-important late winner, but they couldn’t find a way past the visitors’ defences in the latter stages and were forced to settle for a point.
Their failure to secure victory on home turf in midweek put paid to their hopes of a top-eight finish in the Conference League, and thus, an immediate pass through the last 16.
Instead, they now face a two-leg play-off, which will be played on 19 February and 26 February respectively.
As a result, Palace’s Premier League clash with Manchester United on 28 February is likely to be pushed back to take place on the following day with a 2pm kick-off, according to journalist Simon Stone.
Why Ruben Amorim will be fuming with Crystal Palace switch
Amorim will need to secure Champions League football to truly secure his position at Old Trafford, as the team’s inconsistency continues to see him come under scrutiny from fans.
The Palace clash could be crucial to that goal, with the two sides currently sitting fifth and sixth in the Premier League table.
The imminent fixture switch is totally out of United’s hands, and Amorim will be cursing his luck once he sees the impact that it could have in the following days.
United have an away game against Newcastle on the Wednesday after that meeting with Palace (4 March), and if the first game is pushed back to a Sunday fixture, then it leaves Amorim and his team with one less day to rest and prepare for their midweek assignment.
With that in mind, it certainly serves as an unwanted development for the Red Devils, who will be left to deal with the challenging aftermath of the switch.