Louis Jackson or Jack Kingdon to get their chance to shine versus Crystal Palace | OneFootball

Crystal Palace welcome Manchester United to Selhurst Park on matchday 35 in the Premier League.

This will be the 66th meeting between the two sides. To date, United have come out on top 41 times, drawn 13 and lost 11.

Neither side is particularly shining in the Premier League as the Red Devils find themselves in eighth place however, a win would catapult them up to sixth position.

Palace are 14th but are also a comfortable 14 points above the relegation places.

The Eagles have now spent over ten consecutive years in the Premier League since being promoted in 2013 and are now a firm fixture of top flight football in England.

Here are some plotlines to dig into before the Monday night encounter.

Who will play centre back for United?

The on-field performances of the 2023/2024 season will not live long in the memory of United fans, unless of course the team produces an unlikely victory against Manchester City in the FA Cup final.

One thing it will be remembered for is the insane injury list that Erik ten Hag’s team has had, especially in the defensive department.

It was announced last night that Harry Maguire would be out injured for the next three weeks and was touch-and-go to make the cup final.

Casemiro has already been playing as an emergency centre back as nobody else is available, now the Mancunian side find themselves with no fit senior central defenders for their trip to London.

Scott McTominay has experience playing at centre back for Scotland but he himself is in a race against time to play.

Jonny Evans and Lisandro Martinez have both started training again but it is probably unwise to rush either back.

Academy centre backs Jack Kingdon and Louis Jackson have both been involved in first team training and recent matchday squads, so possibly now is their moment to shine. Willy Kambwala got his chance in similar circumstances amidst an injury crisis in December, so perhaps one of the youngsters can step up despite the fact it would be a massive gamble.

Can United turn around Selhurst Park form?

The Red Devils have struggled against Crystal Palace as of late and especially in London.

Palace already won at Old Trafford this year and are looking to do the league double for the first time over United, according to the BBC.

United have also only scored one goal in their last three visits to Selhurst Park, as Palace have turned themselves into a bit of a bogey side for the Old Trafford team.

2021 saw a 0-0 stalemate, United lost the last game of the Ralf Rangnick era 1-0 at Selhurst Park and last season United were denied late in a 1-1 draw at the same stadium.

In fact the Red Devils have not won at the ground since July 2020 during the pandemic-affected season, when they came out on top 2-0 with goals from Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial.

If Bruno Fernandes is unavailable who will stand up to replace him?

Fernandes has really come alive in the last stretch of the season as he has scored seven goals in six matches.

The talismanic midfielder has been by far the most functioning aspect of United’s attack lately and he faces a late fitness test to see if he can make it for the match tonight.

As it is Bruno, it is fully expected that he will play through the pain barrier and Erik ten Hag’s words in the embargoed press conference last night show how much of a warrior the Portuguese is.

However, if he cannot make it or is rested on the bench, Mason Mount may have to fill the creative gap in the team. The Englishman has had a horrendous debut season at Old Trafford as injuries have robbed him of any chance to make an impact.

The Peoples Person has already predicted that Mount will get his shot to be the number 10 in the side. Perhaps this is the moment that the Englishman has been waiting for.

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