Manchester United have been handed a boost with Chelsea midfielder Conor Gallagher suspended for Wednesday’s Premier League clash at Old Trafford.
The Red Devils suffered their sixth loss of the top-flight campaign on Saturday. They were beaten by the Magpies by a 1-0 scoreline but the margin of defeat could have been wider.
Eddie Howe’s side dominated the proceedings for most of the game and United struggled to get into the attacking half until the final minutes at St James’ Park.
Manager Erik ten Hag will want a strong response from his side against the Blues. Ahead of the game, the club have been handed a boost with Gallagher’s red card suspension.
The England international has been a mainstay in the starting line-up for the London giants this term and he has played 91 per cent of the available minutes at Chelsea.
Gallagher has featured in every midfield position for the Blues, registering four assists, but his main strength has been his ability to make key defensive contributions.
In the Premier League, he has won a stunning 2.8 tackles and 5.8 duels this season while making 6.4 ball recoveries. He has also had a passing accuracy of 91 per cent.
Mauricio Pochettino’s side have marquee midfielders such as Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo, but their fans will admit that Gallagher has been their best player so far this term.
The absence of the €40 million-rated star is a big boost for United, but the Red Devils still need to turn up with a strong performance to get the better of Chelsea at Old Trafford.
United convincingly beat the Blues 4-1 in the last meeting back in May but prior to that, there were five successive draws with a maximum of two goals scored in each of those.
It has been a tight affair between the two, but United must come on top to avoid losing further ground on the top four. The gap is presently five points to fourth-placed Aston Villa.
Stats from Transfermarkt.com & Sofascore.com
