Erik ten Hag confirms 3 Manchester United stars are ruled out of Nottingham Forest clash

Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has confirmed that Diogo Dalot, Jadon Sancho, and Anthony Martial will not feature in their clash against Nottingham Forest on Wednesday, January 25.

The Red Devils are set to take on the Tricky Trees in the first leg of the semi-finals of the Carabao Cup at the City Ground. However, they will be without three key players for the game.

Sancho hasn't featured for the club since the resumption of their campaign after the 2022 FIFA World Cup due to some physical and mental issues. He was sent for individual training in the Netherlands with some Ten Hag-recommended coaches.

The Englishman has returned to Manchester United training but won't be available for the Nottingham game. Before the World Cup, he registered three goals and one assist in 14 games across competitions.

Another key player missing for the Red Devils is Martial. The French striker has struggled massively with injuries this season, making just 13 appearances across competitions. He has scored five goals and provided two assists in that time.

Dalot will also miss the semi-final as he recovers from a muscular injury. The Portuguese right-back established himself as the first-choice under Ten Hag before his injury. He has made 23 appearances this season, contributing one goal and two assists.

In his absence, Aaron Wan-Bissaka has done well and will hope to give Dalot good competition for this place in this Manchester United side.

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Steve Cooper on facing Manchester United in Carabao Cup semi-finals

Nottingham Forest manager Steve Cooper shared his thoughts on facing the Red Devils over two legs in the Carabao Cup semi-finals.

He explained that their exit from the FA Cup could help them in terms of recovery time. Meanwhile, Manchester United will face Reading in the round of 16 of the FA Cup between the two legs.

Cooper said (via Stretty News):

"It’s not been an easy ride for sure to get to the semi-final, and we’ve treated it like every other game, one we want to do well in and win. Unfortunately, we’re out of the FA Cup, we’re not very proud of that and the way we went about it, but these two games now fall in a two-week Premier League break."

He added:

"There’s enough recovery and preparation time to be ready for these games, there’s no doubt about that."

Cooper also highlighted that Nottingham are proud to be in the semi-finals of the Carabao Cup. He further stated that they will look to use their positivity to challenge Manchester United over the two legs.