Manchester United vs Leicester LIVE: Carabao Cup team news and line-ups as Ruud van Nistelrooy takes charge of first match since Erik ten Hag’s exit – UK Times

Leicester are in good form.

They’ve only lost two of their last seven matches across all competitions though one of those defeats came against Nottingham Forest at the weekend.

Jamie Vardy has scored in his last two outings and will be keen to perform at Old Trafford.

Despite coming up from the Championship this season, Leicester are only two points behind Man Utd in the Premier League table. They have won twice and drawn three times in the top flight so will be confident of taking on the Red Devils tonight.

United, in contrast, have three wins and two draws but will hope the change in manager can turn around their fortunes and send them into the next round.

Steve Cooper is also expecting Manchester United’s quality to be on display at Old Trafford but hopes his gameplan will be enough to help his players get the win.

Cooper added: “Manchester United have got brilliant players who can make a difference in every area of the pitch, both with and without the ball and we have to be ready for that. We also know that we have players who can have good moments as well and impacts on the game. We’ve got to make sure that we take that opportunity.

“We believe that if we get our game right, it can have a positive influence on any game we play. Of course, you have to understand the opponents and dangerous players and everything else which forms a game plan, but the biggest part of our game plan is that our game becomes a dominant factor in every match that we play.

“There’s always context to a game and this one is the change from league to cup and the change in manager with an interim going in. That can add to the atmosphere and we’re very aware of that, but it hasn’t changed our objective and what we want to do in the game and that’s the bit we can influence. We’re focused on ourselves and how we get us right for the game.”

With all the noise surrounding Manchester United it is easy to lose sight of Leicester City’s position. They are preparing to face a team without a manager and boss Steve Cooper is focusing on his own players instead of the opposition.

He told reporters at the pre-match press conference: “What we’re doing now is preparing for a cup game and a chance to get to the quarter-finals and a game that we really want to bring a good performance to get us through to the next round.

“I’m sure the atmosphere will be really good tomorrow and we’ve got to try and thrive in that moment. That’s what we’ve been talking about in the past day or so. We’re looking forward to getting down there.

“When you come up against a change in manager, it’s a really good challenge to show how good your own work is as a team, in terms of your ideas of play, both with and without the ball, because really, if you get it right, you should be able to adapt to anything that you face and that will be no different tomorrow.”

Erik ten Hag has a brand of defiance that sometimes made him sound a man apart.

An unexpected taste of glory empowered him. “If they don’t want me, I go somewhere else to win trophies,” he said after defeating Manchester City in the FA Cup final.

“Thanks for everything boss!” Fernandes posted on Instagram. “I appreciate the trust and the moments we share together, I wish you all the best in the future.

“Even knowing the last period hasn’t been great from all of us, I hope you fans can keep with you the good things the manager has done for our club!”

Forward Alejandro Garnacho, who broke into the first team under Ten Hag also thanked his former manager.

“I will always be grateful to you for giving me the opportunity and confidence to play for this club,” Garnacho posted. “I will remember the good times we had together, I wish you all the best.”

Young England international Kobbie Mainoo also thanked Ten Hag for helping him break into the Manchester United team last season.

“Thank you for your trust and belief in me, and for giving me the opportunity to play with my boyhood club.” Mainoo said. “I wish you all the best for the future.”

It came after United slipped to their fourth Premier League defeat of the season at West Ham. They now sit in the bottom half of the table, having won one of their last eight games in all competitions.

In a statement, the club thanked Ten Hag for his work and wished him well for the future. Ruud van Nistelrooy has been named interim head coach as United recruit a permanent head coach.

“I thought it was coming,” Neville said on Sky Sports. “Looking at Tottenham, I thought I’d seen this before and know how it ends. It was a bad day for Ten Hag, everybody thought that would be the day we would kick on, but it’s got worse. Missing chances was unacceptable, the decision was a bad one.

“The challenges of the performances, the owners have decided to sack Ten Hag, I don’t think anybody will be shocked. There will be those that say they have been proven right, fans wanted to continue with Ten Hag, give him an opportunity to succeed under a new structure.

“The shock has been how bad they’ve been, the new signings, to get a good performance and some stability. 14th? It’s unacceptable. The spend that’s occurred. I was hoping it would end differently, the faith shown in him would pay off, but it’s not the case.

“I suspect that Tottenham game would be a catalyst to look for a new manager, being in that position, you look who’s available, being diligent and then think of the timing. In our position, you’re hoping the manager will turn it around, start to win matches, 99/100 when you’ve made the decision, the tide’s against you, it continues to go against you, they decided the next big loss, they’d have to act. They started, I’m sure, after Tottenham, it felt like the end. Even if it wasn’t actually the end.”

It’s a busy week for Manchester United as they host Leicester City in the Carabao Cup tonight before playing Chelsea on Sunday in the Premier League.

In non-Europa League weeks, the club have preferred to do their pre-match press conference ahead of the weekend on Thursday.

Although United are hoping to appoint Ruben Amorim by the Chelsea game, it has been confirmed that Ruud van Nistelrooy will carry out media duties tomorrow.

In case you haven’t been following the news since Man Utd’s defeat to West Ham at the weekend the biggest story coming out of Old Trafford was the departure of the manager on Monday.