Manchester City and Manchester United handed boost as EFL confirm Carabao Cup rule change

straight to your inbox every day for freeHarry Maguire has insisted Manchester United are taking confidence from winning ugly and believes those results prove that the team has matured this season.Ole Gunnar Solskjaer 's side are well in the race to become Premier League winners this campaign and sit second in the standings, one point behind Leicester City, with a game in hand.

direct to your inboxManchester City will win the Premier League this season, that’s according to the latest prediction from Sporting Index.The English top flight already looks set to be it’s most competitive for a generation, with a handful of teams believing they can win the title.Both City and Manchester United will be in that group that have realistic aspirations of lifting the trophy in May, with the halfway point of the season not too far away.The two local rivals have already gone into

straight to your inbox every day for freeBorussia Dortmund have identified PSV Eindhoven star Donyell Malen as their ideal replacement for Jadon Sancho should he leave in the summer, according to reports.While January is likely to be a quiet month in terms of transfers for Manchester United, M.E.N.

direct to your inboxThe date and kick-off times for the FA Cup forth round have been confirmed.Manchester United will welcome fierce rivals Liverpool to Old Trafford on Sunday, January 24, with kick-off coming at 5pm. It will be shown live on BBC One.

straight to your inbox every day for freeManchester United shelved plans for a move for Atletico Madrid right-back Kieran Trippier this month amid uncertainty over the outcome of his worldwide ban for breaching betting rules.Trippier, 30, was given a 10-week ban and fined £70,000 by the Football Association on December 23 but the suspension has been put on hold, pending an appeal, and Trippier started in Atletico's 2-0 win over Sevilla on Tuesday night.The MEN understands Trippier's suspension

straight to your inbox every day for freeManchester United's win over Burnley was tainted by late injuries to Anthony Martial and Nemanja Matic.United travel to Anfield for a vital top-of-the-table encounter against Jurgen Klopp's side on Sunday, looking to stretch their three-point gap at the Premier League's summit. That lead was clinched by a 1-0 victory at Burnley on Tuesday night, secured by Paul Pogba's volleyed second-half strike.

straight to your inbox every day for freeManchester United's FA Youth Cup game against Salford City, scheduled for Wednesday night, has been suspended.Last season's tournament was forced to be concluded in November due to the impact of COVID in 2020 which saw professional sport put on hold for a number of months.Manchester City beat Chelsea in the final with third-round matches for this year's competition due to take place this week.Salford were handed a dream tie against United but that fixture

straight to your inbox every day for freeManchester United's opponents in the fourth round of the FA Cup have been confirmed.Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side will face rivals Liverpool in the next round of the competition after the draw was made on Monday night. The match will take place at some stage across the weekend commencing Saturday 23 January, although all fixtures are subject to possible TV rescheduling.

direct to your inboxParking charges at a number of car parks in Manchester city centre have risen after being taken over by the council.

straight to your inbox every day for free Independiente del Valle general manager Santiago Morales has confirmed the club have reached an agreement with a Premier League club for the transfer of former Manchester United target Moises Caicedo. MEN Sport reported last month United were working on a €6million deal for the midfielder as part of their new transfer strategy which aimed at signing the most talented youngsters from around the world.

direct to your inboxManchester City have joined Manchester United in the draw for the fourth round of the FA Cup.United edged past Watford 1-0 at Old Trafford in their third round tie on Saturday evening, courtesy of a Scott McTominay header.On Sunday, City comfortably progressed, thanks to a 3-0 victory over Birmingham City at the Etihad Stadium.Bernardo Silva set Pep Guardiola's men on their way with two goals in the opening 15 minutes, then Phil Foden added a third before half-time.With the

straight to your inbox every day for freeManchester United fans are enjoying a good laugh at the expense of Leeds United after the Yorkshire side were dumped out of the FA Cup by Crawley Town. The FA Cup third round, which sees Premier League sides enter the competition, has been played this weekend and, while United successfully navigated past Watford with a 1-0 win, there have been plenty of upsets so far.

straight to your inbox every day for freeManchester United defender Ethan Laird has joined MK Dons on loan for the rest of the season. The attack-minded right-back is highly rated at United and has already made two senior appearances for the club, against FC Astana and AZ Alkmaar in last season's Europa League.

straight to your inboxRoy Keane has praised Man City's desire and hunger against Manchester United.City ran out 2-0 winners against their rivals at Old Trafford in the Carabao Cup semi-final, setting up a final against Spurs at Wembley in April as they attempt to equal Liverpool's long-held record of winning the competition four seasons in a row.It was an impressive performance by Pep Guardiola's side against a United side that went into the game in good form themselves, with goals from John

direct to your inboxManchester United and Manchester City are locking horns in a Carabao Cup semi-final tonight.City, winners of the competition in each of the last three seasons, tackle a United side looking to lift the competition for the first time since 2017. With the country having entered a third lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic, Old Trafford will once again be without fans but it remains a fiercely-anticipated clash.

straight to your inbox every day for free Manchester United have been handed a warning amid their ongoing pursuit of teenage midfielder Moises Caicedo.Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side are interested in a deal for the 19-year-old Ecuador international but are yet to reach a breakthrough over a transfer agreement.

straight to your inbox every day for freeManchester United fans fear the club may not have signed Bruno Fernandes last January if the club had firmed up their interest in Newcastle midfielder Sean Longstaff.The 23-year-old was identified by United as a long-term addition to their midfield following his breakthrough with the Magpies after the departure of Ander Herrera.MEN Sport revealed United held encouraging talks with Longstaff's representatives during the summer transfer window but he was

straight to your inbox every day for freeManchester United fans would rather the club sign Erling Braut Haaland in 2021 than Jadon Sancho.M.E.N.

straight to your inboxManchester City goalkeeper Ederson Moraes appears to be a doubt for Sunday's match against Chelsea and the Manchester Derby on Wednesday.Pep Guardiola 's men face Manchester United at Old Trafford during the week in a Carabao Cup semi-final clash, and they could be without their number one. Ederson has said he is self-isolating, putting him at risk of missing the clash with Manchester United in just four days' time.

straight to your inbox every day for freeManchester United fans are split on the prospect of Memphis Depay rejoining the club in the January transfer window.Memphis arrived at United under much fanfare from PSV Eindhoven in the summer of 2015 but the move didn't go to plan and he lasted just a year-and-a-half before joining Ligue 1 side Lyon.However, the Dutchman has gone on to mature into a fine, versatile striker while in France, scoring 62 goals and providing 47 assists in 155 games, which