Mark Lawrenson predicts winner of Nottingham Forest vs Manchester United
Liverpool legend Mark Lawrenson has predicted Manchester United will beat Nottingham Forest in the Premier League on Sunday (April 16).
The Red Devils travel to the City Ground to face Forest, who are embroiled in a relegation battle. Steve Cooper's side are 18th in the league and have eight more games to try and survive in the English top tier.
Meanwhile, Manchester United are chasing UEFA Champions League qualification. Erik ten Hag's men are fourth, three points above fifth-placed Tottenham Hotspur with a game in hand.
They suffered a disappointing setback midweek when they surrendered a 2-0 lead to draw 2-2 with Sevilla in the first leg of their Europa League quarterfinal. However, Lawrenson doesn't think that will be the case against Forest. He has backed Ten Hag's side to get all three points, telling Paddy Power:
"This should be a Manchester United win. If that happens it will be interesting to see if the Nottingham Forest owner pulls the trigger. It would be hard on Steve Cooper to be fair. Prediction: o-2."
The Red Devils have been rocked by an injury crisis this past week. Marcus Rashford (muscular), Luke Shaw (hamstring) and Alejandro Garnacho (ankle) all missed the side's draw with Sevilla.
Lisandro Martinez picked up a knock in that draw and has been ruled out for the rest of the season with a fractured metatarsal. To make matters worse, his defensive partner Raphael Varane will also be out for a few weeks after also suffering an injury in the Europa League clash.
Ten Hag will likely have to call upon captain Harry Maguire, who scored a devastating own goal in the draw. He will likely be partnered by Victor Lindelof in the heart of the defense.
Hence, Manchester United's quest for a top-four finish has taken a massive speed bump. However, Forest are a side that many will expect United to cruise past even with their injury toll.
Journalist on the impact Lisandro Martinez's absence will have on Manchester United
Manchester Evening News journalist Samuel Luckhurst thinks the side's Carabao Cup win and top-four finish will be an even more impressive season following Martinez's injury. He tweeted:
"A trophy and top four would be an even better achievement for (Manchester United) after the Martinez news. He’s been one of the signings of the season and is almost as much of an asset in attack as he is in defence. Huge loss."
Martinez arrived at Old Trafford from Ajax last summer for £56.7 million and has been one of their standout performers. Dubbed 'The Butcher' at the Johan Cruyff Arena, the Argentine has lived up to that mantra throughout the campaign.
The dogged central defender has made 45 appearances across competitions, helping his side keep 20 clean sheets and scoring one goal. He has forged a formidable partnership with Varane. However, Martinez will miss the rest of the season in what is a massive setback for Ten Hag.