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Opponent News: Patrick Vieira could be among those to miss Crystal Palace’s clash vs Man United

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Crystal Palace could take on Manchester United sans key figures both on and off the field.

Crystal Palace could take on Manchester United sans key figures both on and off the field

Manchester United will face Crystal Palace, managed by Arsenal legend Patrick Vieira in the Premier League on Sunday. It will be their first game under new interim manager Ralf Rangnick as he looks to start his managerial career with three points.

The Red Devils come into the game following a comeback win over Arsenal at home earlier this week. Club legend Cristiano Ronaldo scored a double on the night to get us over the line against the Gunners. The win took them to the seventh spot with 21 points from 14 matches. Palace, meanwhile, sits in 11th, trailing us by five points.

A win could bring us close to the Champions League spots, which would be a fantastic turnaround from the poor form under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. With some key absentees on the record for Palace, the Red Devils could have the initiative from kick-off.

Speaking in the pre-match press conference (h/t Football.London), Palace’s assistant manager Osian Roberts opened up on whether Vieira would miss the clash while conveying the latest updates on both James McArthur and Joachim Andersen. It could potentially give the Red Devils an edge as they try to adjust to their new coach and his demands.

Crystal Palace could take on Manchester United sans key figures both on and off the field. (Credit ADRIAN DENNIS/AFP/Getty Images)
Arsenal legend and Crystal Palace manager Patrick Vieira could miss the clash on Sunday. (Credit ADRIAN DENNIS/AFP/Getty Images)

Vieira has been a breath of fresh air at Selhurst Park this season. They have done well under the Frenchman and appear to have a bright future ahead of them. The 45-year-old may not be in the dugout on the night as he has to attend to a personal emergency.

As things stand, it appears to be touch and go as far as the Palace manager’s availability is concerned. Whether he makes it in time for the match or not, we hope he and his family are fine.

“Unfortunately, he [Vieira] received a phone call and he had to leave immediately to attend to an urgent family matter. Yeah, I hope so [whether vieira would make it on sunday] . We’ve obviously just finished training, just come off the pitch. So I haven’t spoken to him since training. But I will be speaking to him this afternoon.”

Roberts also shed light on Palace stars Joachim Andersen and James McArthur. He refused to give too much away and a decision will be made on their participation later today. Of the two, it would appear that James is the one looking likelier to feature on the night.

“Joachim has been reacting well to treatments. It’s still a little bit too early to assess obviously after today and going into tomorrow. James is looking good in training, but at the moment this game is too early for him.”

Potential Boost?

Roberts is optimistic that the Palace boss will return in time for the game, but he is not 100 per cent sure. That could hand us a boost, especially when the squad is just getting used to Rangnick’s identity. McArthur and Andersen being on the sidelines would be helpful since they have been regulars for Palace this season.

Crystal Palace could take on Manchester United sans key figures both on and off the field. (Credit: Catherine Ivill/Getty Images)
McArthur is out of contention due to an injury. (Credit: Catherine Ivill/Getty Images)

More Manchester United News

In an ideal situation, we should focus only on our game rather than hoping to get some advantage from the opponents. However, as the 63-year-old has just taken charge, he will need enough time to implement his ideas into the squad. We should take all the advantages that we are needed.

Although we have absentees or doubts for the match on Sunday, our depth is better when compared to the Eagles. Given that we are coming off the back of an impressive win against Arsenal, it is time to keep the run of results going.