Manchester United step up preparations for the resumption of the Premier League with a mid-season friendly against La Liga side Cadiz on Wednesday.
The Red Devils have a respectable eight wins and two draws from their first 14 league outings to leave them fifth in the table and three points off the top four. Now, however, they will take on Cadiz in order to make sure they are ready to hit the ground running on their return to action.
The Spanish outfit will provide a good test for what remains of United’s World Cup-hit squad, even if they are 19th in La Liga after winning just two of their first 14 games - although one of those came against Atletico Madrid.
When is Cadiz vs Man Utd?
Cadiz vs Man Utd will kick-off at 7pm (GMT) on Wednesday, December 7 at the 20,724-capacity Nuevo Mirandilla in Cadiz, Spain.
This will be the first ever meeting between the two sides, which is in large part down to Cadiz having never qualified for European competition, as a result of spending just fourteen seasons in La Liga throughout their history.
The first came in 1977 as they achieved promotion to La Liga for the first time, while they were promoted as recently as 2020 and are now in their third consecutive season in the Spanish top flight.
Who should Erik ten Hag start for Man Utd's clash with Cadiz? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.
How to watch
The match will not be televised but United will be streaming the game on their individual club channel, MUTV.
Subscribers can watch this for free, while you can sign up to the service through the club website here.
Match odds
Cadiz vs Man United odds from Betfred
Cadiz - 10/3
Draw - 11/4
Man United - 4/6
*odds subject to change
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Team news
With the opportunity to cause an upset which could help kickstart their season, Cadiz will be expected to go full strength for this fixture, while manager Sergio Gonzalez could aim to use a similar side to the one which managed to see off Atletico Madrid earlier in the season.
The Pirates have mainly used a 4-4-2 system throughout the campaign, with former Real Madrid midfielder Alex Fernandez playing as the creative spark in the middle. However, it is in attack where they will pose the most threat, with former Arsenal and West Ham forward Lucas Perez an option alongside former Manchester City striker Alvaro Negredo.
As for United, Ten Hag will be without the 13 members of his first team squad who have been away at the World Cup. However, there are still a number of players who are available for selection, although Jadon Sancho and Axel Tuanzebe have remained at Carrington.
David de Gea, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Victor Lindelof, Brandon Williams, Donny van de Beek, Scott McTominay, Anthony Martial, Anthony Elanga and Alejandro Garnacho are all expected to start as they aim to impress Ten Hag whilst other stars are away, while a number of youngsters who have been included in the squad will hope to get some minutes.
