'People say it will be easy, but that's just noise'

HODGSON FEARS WOUNDED UNITED AT OLD TRAFFORD

- Ryan Taylor

MAN UNITED V C PALACE
8PM, SKY SPORTS

ROY HODGSON says there is never a good time to play Manchester United even if they are seemingly just one bad result from another crisis.

Erik ten Hag's Red Devils bounced back from three straight defeats with a gritty 1-0 victory at Burnley on Saturday night.

They are hardly flying high right now by United standards but in Hodgson's view they are far from being vulnerable, as he takes Crystal Palace to Old Trafford for tonight's Carabao Cup third-round clash.

The veteran manager said: "I'm trying to think of a time in my career, in the many matches I've had there, when I've been happy to go thinking, 'This is a good time to play them'.

"Old Trafford is a bit special and you are talking about one of the two biggest football clubs in the world.