Manchester United kick off their League Cup campaign against Barnsley on Tuesday evening and for one star it could be one of the biggest games of the season.
The Red Devils return to Old Trafford to face League One opposition in the third round of the Carabao Cup, and Erik ten Hag is expected to mix things up.
Manchester United’s predicted XI to face Barnsley includes seven changes from the side that beat Southampton 3-0 on the weekend.
Ten Hag has several selection decisions to make, including a potential start for goalkeeper Altay Bayindir and out-of-favour Antony.
Antony has been issued a stern warning by Ten Hag ahead of the game, with the Brazilian winger urged to fight for his spot after falling down the pecking order.
There is arguably no one in United’s squad who needs a good performance against Barnsley more than Antony does.
Antony has to prove critics wrong vs Barnsley
United have great depth out wide and the trio of Marcus Rashford, Amad Diallo and Alejandro Garnacho have pushed Antony completely out of the picture.
Amad has been become “untouchable” in Ten Hag’s squad after his superb start to the season and Garnacho has also had a huge impact coming off the bench.
Rashford started the season slowly but made big improvements against Southampton and opened his goalscoring account with a neat curling effort.
Ten Hag already has a selection headache trying to keep that trio happy, so Antony’s chances of featuring in the Premier League look incredibly slim – he has only played one minute in the league so far after making a late cameo against Brighton.
It makes games like the one against Barnsley incredibly important for Antony, who rejected a move away from United this summer to fight for his spot.
The 24-year-old is already on the fringes of the first team and a poor performance against inferior opposition would be a huge setback.
The only chances he will get to change Ten Hag’s mind are in cup competitions and as a rotation option in the Europa League. Antony has to take those opportunities with both hands.
Antony’s Man United future in doubt
After being linked with a move away in the summer, it feels as though this season is Antony’s last chance to impress before Ineos pull the trigger and move him on.
There is still a place for him as a rotation option if he can impress this season, but with exciting academy talents such as Shea Lacey coming through the ranks then the club will not want Antony to hinder their development.
On top of that, reports suggest Ineos are targeting three major signings in 2025, one of which is a new winger.
Crystal Palace’s Eberechi Eze has emerged as a top transfer target and that only spells bad news for Antony.
Make no mistake, he is fighting for his Manchester United career and the game against Barnsley could prove to be crucial.
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