Emotional night in store as legend to lead out Red Devils in crucial cup tie

Manchester United take on Leicester City in the fourth round of the Carabao Cup tonight.

After losing 2-1 to West Ham United on Sunday, Erik ten Hag was sacked on Monday afternoon, and Ruud van Nistelrooy will be the interim coach for the game.

The lead-up to the game has been dominated by talk of Ruben Amorim, who seems destined to be the next manager of the club, but there is still the important task of reaching the quarter finals of the League Cup to be settled on the pitch.

In an historic fixture, United have won 70 matches against the Foxes, drawn 31 and lost on 36 occasions.

The last match between the two was a 3-0 league victory for the Red Devils at Old Trafford in February 2023.

Here are three storylines to whet the appetite in advance of the game.

Ruud van Nistelrooy as head coach

Many United fans will have witnessed Van Nistelrooy banging in the goals on the pitch for the Red Devils and will be extra excited to see him lead out the team tonight.

With the speed of progress in the Ruben Amorim deal, it seems unlikely that the Dutchman will get many more opportunities to manage at Old Trafford in the near future, so will be chomping at the bit to do so.

The Dutchman has made significant use of wingers during his time as a manager at PSV Eindhoven and claimed that his managerial philosophy has taken inspiration from Sir Alex Ferguson’s aggressive attacking style.

While a strong performance will not be enough for the former number 10 to be considered for the Old Trafford hotseat, a positive win will certainly help his negotiations if he is to move club as he reportedly expects once Amorim and his new coaches are confirmed.

Jonny Evans could return against former team

The Northern Irish centre-back might expect a start in the cup tie due to the fixtures coming thick and fast right through until the next international break in mid-November.

Evans has continued to build on an impressive first season at the club and has been solid when called upon, such as in the 0-0 draw with Aston Villa earlier this month.

The 36-year-old spent five seasons at the King Power Stadium from 2018-2023, playing 152 times for them.

He hugely impressed during his time at the club and was made captain in his final season.

The highlight of his time at the Foxes would surely be winning the FA Cup in 2021 against Chelsea in what was Leicester’s first-ever FA Cup triumph.

Impressive home record versus Leicester

The Red Devils can historically boast a strong record against Leicester at Old Trafford, like they can against most sides in England.

In the last ten matches against tonight’s opposition, stretching back to 2004, the Red Devils have won seven.

They have drawn two and lost once, an end-of-season encounter in May 2021 when Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was the coach.

They also drew 1-1 in May 2016, days before the Foxes were crowned champions of England.

The most impressive victory for United in this time was a 4-1 win over Leicester in September 2016, when Paul Pogba scored his first goal for the Red Devils since making a return earlier that summer.

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