Andreas Pereira hoping to take chance to impress against Boro
Andreas Pereira is hoping for another chance to impress when Manchester United take on Middlesbrough in the Capital One Cup.
The 19-year-old midfielder marked his senior debut with a superb free-kick as United beat Ipswich 3-0 in the previous round.
Pereira has since gone on to make just one substitute appearance for United's first team, in the Champions League win over Wolfsburg last month.
But, with boss Louis van Gaal expected to make changes following Sunday's goalless derby draw against Manchester City, Pereira could be handed another opportunity at Old Trafford.
And the young Brazilian will not be afraid to try his luck from outside the box again should the chance arise.
"I hope I get another opportunity and I hope I can show the manager and impress everyone in the stadium and my team-mates," he said in the club's matchday programme, United Review.
"If a free-kick appears and you've been practising, you sometimes have a feeling you will score. You feel confident and it's a very good feeling when the ball goes in.
"I spend a lot of time practising them, but I also try to improve everything, not especially one thing. I practise my free-kicks, my shooting, my dribbling - everything."
Antonio Valencia is a doubt for the match after he was forced off towards the end of the City stalemate with a foot injury.
United are still without defenders Luke Shaw (leg) and Paddy McNair (liver) but wide man Ashley Young (calf) and striker James Wilson (illness) are close to returning.
Marouane Fellaini, Daley Blind, Memphis Depay and Jesse Lingard could be among those handed starts.
Middlesbrough boss Aitor Karanka said he would be sending out his strongest possible side, but would still be without key players.
Midfielder Adam Forshaw remains sidelined through injury and winger Albert Adomah (ankle) was unlikely to feature, but there could be a place in his squad for Bruno Zuculini, a recent loan signing from Manchester City.
Boro, among the promotion favourites in the Sky Bet Championship, bounced back to winning ways at Wolves on Saturday after picking up just one point from their three previous league games.
Karanka felt victory at Wolves was "much more than three points" in preparation for Wednesday's tie.
He said: "It was really important because we came from two very bad games, the spirit was really bad, but after that game all of us have learned a lot and for this it was really important.
"But not just because we won the game. We finished the first half losing but I told them at half-time their attitude was really good and that won us the game. It was more important than three points."
Source: PAR
