David Moyes believes Robin van Persie is unlikely to feature for Manchester United in Wednesday’s Capital One Cup clash with Liverpool.
“I don’t think Robin will play on Wednesday,” Moyes said in a press conference on Tuesday. “But I think he’ll have an outside chance for Saturday [against West Bromwich Albion].”
While some websites are taking Moyes’ words as confirmation that van Persie is out, it’s worth noting that Moyes’ soundbite doesn’t rule out the possibility of the striker featuring.
This, combined with the fact that it was only two weeks ago when Wayne Rooney was reportedly out due to a head wound, only for the Englishman to feature the next day against Crystal Palace.
In other words, anything is possible, and if there’s any chance van Persie can go tomorrow you can bet Moyes will play him.
The Liverpool match remains a massive rivalry for United and one that Moyes will be thirsting to win, regardless of it being League Cup contest. The Scot came to United to win titles, both small and large. Moreover, a loss to Liverpool on Wednesday could become a PR nightmare for Moyes following his side’s poor performance in Sunday’s Manchester Derby.
Moyes’ press conference hinted that he will include a number of established players for the Liverpool match, which is likely to mark Luis Suarez’s return following the conclusion of his 10 match ban for biting Chelsea’s Branislav Ivanovic.
“The cup has been a route to giving young players an opportunity. (But) obviously this is a really big tie.”
Wednesday’s match between Manchester United and Liverpool kicks off at 2:45 pm ET.
