Why Manchester United are playing Europa League tie on a Wednesday

Manchester United will take on FC Twente at Old Trafford in the Europa League one day earlier than is usually expected.

The club have struggled in the league so far this season with seven points from their opening five matches, winning just twice.

But Erik Ten Hag will be hoping for a change of fortune when his side start their Europa League campaign against Twente, who were knocked out of Champions League qualifying by RB Salzburg.

This is the first season of the new revamped Europa League, which like the Champions League will have a single 36-team league stage instead of the traditional groups.

Here’s everything you need to know about the match

Why is it being played on Wednesday?

The match is being played on Wednesday because the new 36-team league stage means there are more fixtures than usual and not every team is capable of playing on a Wednesday.

Last week Champions League matches were played between Tuesday and Thursday and this time it is the week of the Europa League, rather than each tournament having different nights of the week.

When is it?

Manchester United vs FC Twente kicks off at 8pm at Old Trafford, Manchester.

How can I watch it?

United vs Twente will be screened on TNT Sports 1 and subscribers can stream the game on the discovery+ app.

You can purchase a TNT Sports subscription via discovery+ here, for only £30.99 per month.

If you’re travelling abroad and want to watch major sporting events, you might need a VPN to unblock your streaming app. Our VPN round-up is here to help and includes deals on VPNs in the market. Viewers using a VPN need to make sure that they comply with any local regulations where they are, and also with the terms of their service provider.

Team news

Leny Yoro and Luke Shaw continue to be absentees in defence, while squad options in the back line Tyrell Malacia and Victor Lindelof are also out. Otherwise United should be at full strength, with Mason Mount back in action and new signing Manuel Ugarte hoping to start.

Younes Taha is the only definite absence for Twente, but Bart van Rooij went off injured at the weekend and could miss out as a result.

Predicted lineups:

Manchester United XI: Onana, Dalot, Maguire, Evans, Collyer, Ugarte, Mount, Antony, Fernandes, Rashford, Hojlund

FC Twente XI: Unnerstall, van Rooij, Hilgers, Bruns, Salah-Eddine, Eiting, Regeer, Rots, Steijn, Van Bergen, Lammers

Odds

Man United 1/4

Draw 9/2

Twente 9/1

Prediction

It will be a fairly straightforward win for Manchester United, but not convincing enough to alleviate fears from some fans with a match against Spurs scheduled for the weekend.

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