Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has said that Antony is unlikely to be available for the FA Cup final against Manchester City on Saturday afternoon.
The Red Devils face off against their arch-rivals at the Wembley Stadium tomorrow and ahead of the contest, Ten Hag has provided disappointing news on the injury front.
On Sunday, the Dutchman predicted that Antony would be fit in time for the FA Cup final but he has now revealed that there is a ‘really small chance’ of that happening.
Ten Hag added that it is ‘unlikely’ that the 23-year-old could make the squad, he told Manutd.com: “Unlikely. Dos Santos still has a chance, but it’s a really small chance.”
“Yeah. He did make the progress. So what I say is he still has a chance, but either unlikely he is available.”
Antony’s absence means Jadon Sancho must step up
Ten Hag has not completely ruled out Antony for the FA Cup final but the Brazilian may not be fit enough to make the starting line-up if he passes the late fitness test.
Hence, Jadon Sancho looks set to start on the right wing. The Englishman has largely played from the opposite flank this season but has been hugely inconsistent.
In our opinion, he must step up for the derby on Saturday. The former Borussia Dortmund attacker should be motivated with the chance to beat his former employers.
Meanwhile, it looks likely that Alejandro Garnacho will start on the left wing after Anthony Martial’s injury. Marcus Rashford should lead the line against Pep Guardiola’s side.
The other option is to play Rashford on the left flank with Wout Weghorst up front. The fans may not be pleased but we won’t be surprised if Ten Hag starts the Dutchman.
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