Sky Sports pundit Paul Merson has raised a major concern ahead of Manchester United’s forthcoming Premier League clash against Crystal Palace at Old Trafford.
Ruben Amorim’s men suffered a 3-1 Premier League defeat to Brighton at Old Trafford earlier this month before travelling to Craven Cottage last weekend.
Manchester United returned to winning ways in the Premier League on Sunday after their hard-fought 1-0 victory over Fulham away from home.
Following their win at Craven Cottage, United turned their attention to the Europa League for their important clash against Romanian outfit FCSB on Thursday.
Ruben Amorim’s side are 12th in the Premier League table and United have only managed eight league wins from 23 matches in the 2024-25 campaign.
The Red Devils are now 13 points clear of the relegation zone, but United have fallen 12 points adrift of the Premier League top four amid a turbulent season.
Merson on Man Utd star ahead of Palace match
Manchester United will host Crystal Palace at Old Trafford on Sunday afternoon only days after their trip to the National Arena in Bucharest for the FCSB match.
Speaking in his Sportskeeda column, Paul Merson has said that United boss Ruben Amorim faces a “massive problem” over his predicament with Marcus Rashford.
Marcus Rashford’s future remains unclear at Old Trafford ahead of the January transfer window shutting amid falling out of favour with Amorim.
The 27-year-old United star was dropped by Amorim for the 2-1 Premier League win over Manchester City at the Etihad last December.
Rashford last featured for United last month in the Red Devils’ 2-1 comeback victory over Viktoria Plzen at the Doosan Arena in the Europa League.
The England international has been linked with several clubs, including Barcelona and AC Milan, but Rashford does not appear any closer to a move away.
Rashford is under contract with United until 2028, but the Three Lions star commands a hefty wage and it could be a major stumbling block for a transfer.
“The Marcus Rashford situation at Manchester United is a massive problem,” Merson said.
“If I’m the owner of this club, I’m pulling my hair out thinking what to do next! If Ruben Amorim says he’s a good player and he does not fit my system, Manchester United can expect to find buyers.
“But clearly, that’s not the case here. Since Rashford’s attitude in training and off the pitch has been questioned, how do you expect to find a buyer now?”
Merson’s Man Utd vs Palace prediction
Crystal Palace are 13th in the Premier League table and Oliver Glasner’s men are only two points behind United ahead of their trip to Old Trafford.
The Eagles suffered a 2-1 defeat on their last Premier League outing at Selhurst Park last weekend, with Brentford clinching all three points on the day.
Merson insisted that he is “not expecting” United to win and predicted a 2-2 “entertaining draw” at Old Trafford on Sunday.
“You know what? I thought Manchester United were really fortunate to win that game against Fulham,” he said.
“If anybody were to struggle with insomnia, the doctors should just give the DVD of that game to them and they’ll be fine, it was that bad!
“Manchester United don’t press and I expect Eberechi Eze to enjoy a lot of time on the ball. And when he is afforded that kind of time and space, he will cause problems.
“Jean-Philippe Mateta will also be a handful to the Manchester United defenders and in all honesty, I wouldn’t be shocked if Crystal Palace win this game.”
Merson later added: “I’m not expecting Manchester United to win, this could end up being an entertaining draw.”
from United In Focus https://ift.tt/fh0xDwP