There were already too many echoes of 1999 for Manchester United’s liking. Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City could emulate Sir Alex Ferguson’s immortals, the only team to do the treble of the Premier League, the FA Cup and the Champions League. Yet that side reached the final game of a marathon season famously depleted, with Roy Keane and Paul Scholes suspended for the date with Bayern Munich at the Nou Camp.
Now United head to Wembley for the 62nd and last match of their season almost certainly without two of their first-choice front three. Anthony Martial is definitely out, Antony almost certainly. “He has a very small chance,” said Erik ten Hag, who had been more upbeat about his biggest buy’s fitness a few days earlier. Lisandro Martinez, his other signing from his former club is already sidelined: Ten Hag marked the Carabao Cup final victory over Newcastle by dancing on the Wembley pitch with his Ajax allies, and the two South Americans looked more natural movers, but presumably there will be no repeat this weekend.
