Marcel Sabitzer to miss Manchester United vs Real Betis Europa League first leg
Manchester United star Marcel Sabitzer is set to miss the first leg of the round of 16 Europa League tie against Spanish opposition Real Betis.
The Verdiblanocs will visit Old Trafford on Thursday (9 March). It will be interesting to see how the Red Devils will react after their 7-0 thrashing at the hands of Liverpool at Anfield in the previous fixture.
Speaking to the media via Manchester Evening News, Ten Hag confirmed that most players are available versus Manuel Pellegrini’s team. However, the on-loan Bayern Munich midfielder will be on the sidelines for the match. Anthony Martial is also not expected to feature.
“We have a strong programme, but I think we are quite good. The only disappointment is Marcel Sabitzer is not available, as well as Anthony Martial.”
The Austria international joined United on deadline day in January 2023 on a temporary move. After the injury to Christian Eriksen, the 28-year-old’s addition was evidently important.
Since then, Sabitzer has enjoyed a considerable amount of game time at the Old Trafford side. The midfielder has made seven appearances in all competitions. He also featured in the Carabao Cup final as we ended our six-year trophy drought.
The Austrian signed for the Bavarians in the summer of 2021 from RB Leipzig. However, the 28-year-old has been unable to cement his place in the starting lineup of the Bundesliga giants.
However, the Red Devils do have Casemiro and Fred, who have been partnered up as of late. The two Brazilian compatriots have overall been solid in the middle of the park, barring the defeat to Liverpool.
Martial has been in and out of the team for most of the season. Ten Hag has not been able to rely on the France international on a consistent basis. The 27-year-old has had multiple fitness issues since the start of the campaign.
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We beat La Liga leaders Barcelona in our previous UEL round. Hopefully, United will be able to see off Betis and keep marching towards another trophy this season.