Holders Manchester United will be bidding to make a strong start to the defence of their Carabao Cup crown with victory over Crystal Palace at Old Trafford this evening, with the Red Devils heading into this midweek encounter having got back to winning ways away to Burnley at the weekend.

With Palace also set to return to the Theatre of Dreams on Saturday, United can build up some strong momentum on home soil following what has been an undoubtedly shaky start to the campaign, having already slipped nine points behind rivals Manchester City in the Premier League.

Those woes have come amid something of an injury crisis for Erik ten Hag, although the Dutchman may be boosted by the return of a handful prior absentees tonight, including summer signing, Mason Mount.

Will Mason Mount play against Palace?

It looks as if the former Chelsea man – who arrived on a £55m deal back in July – could be in line to make his first appearance since the defeat to Tottenham Hotspur last month, with the England international having posted on his Instagram account stating that he is 'ready' for this upcoming contest.

Whether the 24-year-old comes straight back into the side is another matter, however, with Ten Hag likely to want to keep faith with Hannibal Mejbri in the number ten berth, after the Tunisian international was "perfect" at Turf Moor – as per his manager.

With Sofyan Amrabat also now fit and available to line up in the centre of midfield – and with weekend hero Bruno Fernandes capable of featuring on the right flank – it remains to be seen just where Mount would slot in, while there may also be concern at rushing him back too quickly following his recent absence.

There will also likely be a desire to avoid too many alterations in the hope of building on the narrow win over the Clarets, with Ten Hag having typically denied the temptation to rotate during his United tenure thus far.

That being said, while Mount may find himself watching on the bench – for the meantime at least – one tactical tweak that could be made is the introduction of teenage sensation, Alejandro Garnacho.

Will Garnacho start against Palace?

Previously described as a "game-changer" by journalist Samuel Luckhurst, the 19-year-old has routinely done much of his best work as a substitute during his time in the first-team to date, be it netting late on at Elland Road, or scoring at the death at Craven Cottage.

Hailed as "unstoppable" by pundit Darren Bent following that latter effort, Garnacho is clearly a talent who can impact games from the bench, having also come close to scoring the winner against Arsenal earlier this month.

There will come a time, however, when the Argentine international will have to prove himself ready to be a regular starter in the side, albeit with the major issue having been the fact that he is vying to feature in a left-wing berth – a role currently occupied by last season's 30-goal hero, Marcus Rashford.

Rashford has been a mainstay under Ten Hag over the past year or so, although it has been a mixed start to the campaign for the 25-year-old despite his fine effort away to the Gunners, having been described as 'erratic' by Luckhurst against Vincent Kompany's men.

Things seemingly don't appear to be clicking into gear for the Englishman at present, hence why shaking things up with the introduction of Garnacho could be a wise move, particularly amid this hectic fixture schedule.

Stats

Rashford (2015/16)

Garnacho (2022/23)*

Games (all comps)

18

34

Goals

8

5

League goals

5

3

Assists

2

5

(*Did feature briefly at end of 2021/22)

In a perfect world, supporters would likely love to see the £50k-per-week speedster on one flank and Rashford on the other, yet with both looking suited to the left, it could prove an intriguing battle over the weeks, months and years to come.