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- Antony out of Betis clash
- Has not travelled due to illness
- But Sabitzer back in action
WHAT HAPPENED? After an up and down debut season that has seen him come under fire from just about every angle, Manchester United have confirmed via their website that Antony has not made their travelling squad to face Real Betis in the second leg of their Europa League last-16 tie. The Brazilian misses out through illness, and will sit out the game along with Anthony Martial, Kobbie Mainoo, Zidane Iqbal and Nathan Bishop.
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THE BIGGER PICTURE: Despite his struggles for consistency, Antony has found form in the Europa League and scored in the first leg against Betis at Old Trafford as United won 4-1. His absence comes as a fresh blow to Erik ten Hag, though, with Christian Eriksen already out and Alejandro Garnacho also facing a spell on the sidelines.
AND WHAT'S MORE: Eriksen's absence looked to be made even worse when Casemiro received a red card at the weekend and found himself getting a four-game ban for his troubles, but Bayern Munich loanee Marcel Sabitzer has returned to full fitness and made the travelling squad to Seville. His recovery comes at a crucial time with United suddenly looking significantly weakened in midfield.
IN TWO PHOTOS:
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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR MAN UTD? Taking such a healthy aggregate scoreline into the second leg, United shouldn't be troubled too much by the absence of Antony. Instead, Thursday's clash serves as a good opportunity for Ten Hag to find a solution to his latest midfield dilemma.