United are currently sixth in the Premier League table - a position they would like to hold on to for securing a Europa League spot.
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Manchester United’s miserable campaign will end on Sunday with the Red Devils traveling to Crystal Palace. The match has little to no significance, with both teams not having much to play this campaign. United are currently sixth in the Premier League table – a position they would like to hold on to for securing a Europa League spot. On the other hand, Palace are 13th in the standings, having accumulated 45 points from 37 games. With Premier League safety guaranteed, the upcoming match is all about finishing the season as high as possible.
United players and fans would want the campaign to end quickly. The season which started in a disappointing fashion never really picked up and went from bad to worse. Manchester United currently have 58 points from 37 games. They are guaranteed to finish with their lowest points tally in Premier League history. Besides, Sunday’s game will bring an end to Ralf Rangnick’s time as interim manager and will start a new era under incoming boss Erik ten Hag. There is a possibility ten Hag might be at Selhurst Park to watch the match, hence the players would want to put up a positive outing in from of him.
READ MORE – What formations will Erik ten Hag deploy at Manchester United next season?
For Palace though it is a satisfactory season, with their main objectives more or less completed. They could jump from 13th to as far as 10th if all the teams above them slip up. Irrespective of what happens on Sunday, this season can be termed as a positive one for Palace. Moreover, it will be their final home game of the season, hence they would love to put up a show in front of their loyal supporters. With both sides not playing competitive football again till August, they would like to end the season on a positive note.
Rangnick has informed that quite a few players would miss the clash at Palace on Sunday without naming anyone. “We, once again unfortunately, have quite a few players missing and another couple of players with question marks,” he said during the pre-match press conference. “We have to wait for tomorrow’s last training session but, as it stands now, there will be quite a few players missing. Luke Shaw’s wife gave birth to their second baby today and he was supposed to be training tomorrow. But apparently he isn’t. So we have to wait and see if he would at least be available for the bench on Sunday.”
Besides, Jadon Sancho and Phil Jones are also a doubt as they did not complete their recent training sessions. They both will be assessed on Saturday before taking a call on their participation. For Palace, James Tomkins, James McArthur, Nathan Ferguson and Michael Olise have all been injured. With very little to play for in the final game of the season, both sides might also give some chances to the academy and fringe players.
Crystal Palace possible line-up: Guaita, Clyne, Andersen, Kouyate, Mitchell, Gallagher, Ayew, Milivojevic, Eze, Mateta, Zaha
Manchester United possible line-up: De Gea; Wan-Bissaka, Lindelof, Varane, Telles, Matic, McTominay, Fernandes, Elanga, Rashford, Ronaldo
READ MORE – Why is it important for the Red Devils to play European football next season?
The high-octane Premier League battle between Crystal Palace and Manchester United will take place at Selhurst Park and it will kick off at 08:30 pm IST on Sunday, May 22. The Sunday evening kick-off will be the last match of the season for both sides.
The match will be live streamed on the Hotstar app and website. Meanwhile, football fans in India can also enjoy the action on TV networks, as the competition is telecast live on the Star Sports network.
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