Leeds United’s Monday-night hosts will have had a three-week break since their last competitive game.
Manchester United forward Bryan Mbeumo admits it can be hard to find rhythm between games as his side come through a three-week break ahead of hosting Leeds United.
All Premier League teams had a fortnight off during the March international break but while Leeds were in FA Cup action on Sunday, their upcoming hosts were out. Daniel Farke’s side played 120 minutes at West Ham before eventually winning 4-2 on penalties to book an FA Cup semi-final meeting with Chelsea.
Michael Carrick has taken his squad off to Dublin for a mini-training camp this week in a bid to keep them sharp, with no threat of a fixture pile-up given their lack of European football and early cup exits. Plenty of rest, then, but that lack of games can also have a negative effect.
“For a football player you want to play games every single week,” Mbeumo said at a press conference in Dublin. “It’s a little bit of rest for us but it’s always hard to find the rhythm and that’s why we’re here, to get ready for the next game and just be as strong as possible.
“It’s clear for everyone with the position we are now, we want to finish as strong as possible and reach the top [possible] position in the table. Hopefully play in the Champions League.”
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A Monday-night game should give Leeds plenty of time to recover from Sunday’s gruelling cup clash and they will need every ounce of energy to leave Old Trafford with a result. Daniel Farke’s side could be just one point above the relegation zone come kick-off if results elsewhere go against them.
The Whites are still fancied to retain their Premier League status, and unless they win the FA Cup and secure a Community Shield place, they will be back up against Manchester United this summer. A pre-season friendly has been confirmed for Wednesday, August 12, at Croke Park in Dublin.
“Obviously, playing Leeds is a big rivalry for the club, it’s always going to be good to play these kinds of games especially in this historic stadium and big stadium,” Mbeumo said of the friendly. “We have a big community of fans here so of course we are very excited to play in front of them.”
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