Manchester United vs Charlton Athletic: Ones to Watch

Manchester United host Charlton Athletic at Old Trafford just four days after they defeated Everton in the FA Cup, and four days before they host the Manchester Derby.

The EFL Cup fixture against the League One outfit will put Manchester United in the EFL Cup semi-final if they win, posing a real opportunity to end a trophy drought that has been ongoing since 2017.

Although, given the strength of the opposition, and the heavy schedule United are facing including a game against arch-rivals Manchester City on Saturday that could take them to within a point of second place in the league – it is likely that Erik ten Hag will rest some of his key men and this poses an opportunity for fans to see some more of Manchester United’s bright young talents. Their opposition will undoubtedly go full strength.

Read More: Two midfielders to miss Charlton Athletic fixture

Here, UtdDistrict highlight one player to look out for from each team:

Manchester United – Zidane Iqbal

Given the criticality of United’s upcoming Premier League fixtures, the midfield players who are available to play should be rested against Charlton Athletic as they are simply too important. For this reason, Zidane Iqbal should get some minutes and another opportunity to impress the fans, which he has done in every appearance so far.

A midfielder with remarkable technical quality and a brain that operates on a level above most, Iqbal is aptly named. Operating deeper in midfield, his playmaking qualities all over the pitch are excellent and he should be in from the off against Charlton, all things considered, it is a perfect game for his development in all aspects.

Erik ten Hag has recently taken control of United’s youth team, wanting to have an input on player pathways to the first team, and Zidane Iqbal will likely be one of the highest names on the list of players to integrate.

Read More: Manchester United have earmarked 3 long-term strikers after Wout Weghorst loan

Charlton Athletic – Jesurun Rak-Sakyi

Those who follow the Premier League will likely have heard this name pop up, Jesurun Rak-Sakyi is on loan at Charlton Athletic from Crystal Palace and he is one of the most exciting young talents at a club renowned for it.

A left-footed winger capable of operating on both sides, although primarily playing off the right, the England under-20 player has six goals and two assists in 20 League One starts this season which is a more than respectable return at his age.

He is an adept dribbler who possesses good physical qualities and causes trouble for full-backs. He has the joint-second most goal contributions for the Addicks in the league this season and takes the most shots per game for them. Only two players have created more big chances than the winger, too. If any Charlton player can cause United problems, it will be Rak-Sakyi.