The Old Trafford bomb scare could give Manchester United more focus for Saturday’s FA Cup final against Crystal Palace, according to Eagles front-man Connor Wickham.
Last Saturday’s game between United and Bournemouth was postponed after Old Trafford had to be evacuated following the discovery of a suspicious item inside the ground, and will now be played at 8pm on Tuesday night.
The police carried out a controlled explosion on the device, which it later transpired had been accidentally left behind by a private firm.
The postponement on Sunday means United's cup final preparations have been changed, while rivals Manchester City effectively sealed a top-four finish with a draw at Swansea on Sunday.
Despite the disruptions, Palace forward Wickham said: “Now their Champions League place is gone they might play a different team.
“Obviously they will rotate players and make a lot of changes. They will want to keep some players ticking over and give them some minutes but I’d expect them to make changes.
“They will be ready. Their Champions League hopes are gone so their main focus will be on us.”
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Had United played the fixture at the scheduled time – the same as every other team in the league – they would have been fighting for top-four contention.
Louis Van Gaal was expected to field his strongest available team against the Cherries to ensure that United put pressure on Manchester City and gave themselves the best chance of Champions League qualification.
However, the match’s postponement means that Van Gaal knows that a top four finish would require a more than improbable 19-goal swing in their final game.
Therefore, the Dutchman is expected to field a weakened team in the rearranged fixture in preparation for Saturday’s final.
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Wickham’s Palace teammate Joel Ward was more optimistic about the postponement and the two days of preparation that it deprives Manchester United of.
The Eagles defender said: “[It] might play into our favour.
“We know it is going to be a tough game. We are playing against Manchester United so it is never going to be easy. We will just make sure we prepare right and have a good week leading up to the game.
“It is one of the biggest games in the club's history. We are going to fight and make sure we are ready to give a good account of ourselves. Hopefully we can do that.”
