Ones to Watch: Manchester United vs Nottingham Forest (Carabao Cup)

Manchester United will look to confirm their place in the Carabao Cup final as they welcome Nottingham Forest into the semi-final second leg at Old Trafford.

Manchester United currently hold a 3-goal advantage in the tie after defeating Nottingham Forest 3-0 in the first leg last Wednesday, with Marcus Rashford, Wout Weghorst, and Bruno Fernandes all hitting the net in their first semi-final under Erik ten Hag.

After defeat against Arsenal and a draw against Crystal Palace, United have made is two wins on the bounce against Forest and Reading respectively, restoring any momentum lost in the last fortnight as Ten Hag looks to utilise his squad to the maximum across the next month.

United are expected to field a heavily rotated side, with back-to-back fixtures against Leeds United and another meeting with Crystal Palace on the horizon as the February schedule looms. With that in mind, here are the players fans should look out for for either team.

Manchester United: Alejandro Garnacho

Alejandro Garnacho has been a shining light in Manchester United’s debut season under Erik ten Hag, dazzling fans with his brilliant performances.

Being used both off the bench and as a starting XI player as the season has progressed so far, Garnacho has proved himself a pivotal man in Ten Hag’s plans. Coming off the bench in recent weeks, he supplied the assist to Marcus Rashford’s winning goal against Manchester City, as well as two assists during United’s 4-2 win over Aston Villa back in December.

He has become a trusted understudy to Rashford on the left wing, and with Ten Hag likely shaking up the XI for the fixture, Garnacho will almost certainly be given a chance to run the left flank of Old Trafford.

However, another man to watch out for is the potential return of Jadon Sancho. The young winger has been out of the squad for two months for personal reasons, but has been back in full training with the team over the last few weeks.

Wednesday evening’s match could be the perfect opportunity for Erik ten Hag to re-introduce Sancho to the matchday squad and the competitive football field, potentially of the bench. The lack of pressure due to the 3-goal advantage and the game being held on home turf creates the ideal scenario for Sancho to feel comfortable with the ball at his feet once again.

Nottingham Forest: Brennan Johnson

In the first leg, Johnson was no doubt Forest’s most dangerous player. Quick, skilful and smart, the young Welshman provided a properly tough test for Tyrell Malacia at left-back, being an ever present threat on Forest’s right-hand side.

Despite the fixture feeling slightly dead-rubber, if Forest are able to push back and grab a lifeline at Old Trafford on Wednesday, it will almost certainly be with the help of Johnson.

Another player to look out for is Morgan Gibbs-White, who has performed fantastically for The Garibaldi this season.

Originally breaking out at Swansea while on loan from Wolverhampton Wonderers a few seasons ago, Gibbs-White as struggled with injury in some of the early stages of his career, and was sold to Nottingham Forest for a fee just over £25 million, and has been a star player of theirs since.

His dynamism and ability to create and shoot from almost any angle was on display in the first leg, and will be a tough man to handle at Old Trafford, should he feature.