Sunday went so swimmingly for Manchester United a pertinent question went unanswered: where was Jesse Lingard? The United forward was appallingly abused by the team coach at Pride Park last week and absent from the squad gathering at The Lowry on Saturday night.
Ostensible injury doubts Daniel James and Harry Maguire rendezvoused at the hotel in the morning. That squad ruse was a giveaway James and Maguire would start.
Lingard was never going to and clarification as to his absence is likely on Wednesday, either at the open training session at Carrington in the morning or from Ole Gunnar Solskjaer at his evening press conference.
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