Man Utd to REFUSE Dean Henderson plea to play Carabao Cup semi-final with Nottingham Forest ace banned due to loan rule
MANCHESTER UNITED will refuse Dean Henderson permission to face them in their two-legged Carabao Cup semi-final against Nottingham Forest.
Henderson is on loan at the City Ground from Old Trafford.
Premier League rules barred him from facing his parent club last month as Forest went down 3-0, with Wayne Hennessey deputising in goal.
There are no such rules in the Carabao Cup – providing the club that holds his registration grants permission.
However, United are not prepared to do that despite Forest boss Steve Cooper hinting after Henderson’s penalty shoot-out heroics in the quarter-final that he would look into it.
Cooper said after the game: “I’m unsure about that, but if there is (a chance), then obviously it’s something we will look into the possibility of pursuing.
“But it’s all just talk at the minute, I guess.”
Henderson, 25, was the hero as Forest got past Wolves to book their place in the semi-finals.
He made crucial stops during the game which finished 1-1 and then saved two spot kicks in the shoot-out as his team triumphed 4-3.
The draw for the next round was made immediately after the game with Forest drawn out to play Man Utd and Newcastle will face Southampton.
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Henderson joined the Red Devils’ academy as a 14-year-old and he has had loan spells at five different clubs, most notably Sheffield United during two seasons from 2018 to 2020.
He returned to Old Trafford in August 2020 and was added to the first-team squad signing a new five-year deal.
He broke into the side that following campaign, going on to make 13 league appearances and he was then expected to start last season under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
But Covid ruled him out and David de Gea consequently began the campaign and kept his place.
Henderson told the club in the summer he wanted to move on loan before Erik ten Hag walked through the door as he was not prepared to be second choice to De Gea anymore.
Henderson said: “I didn’t want the manager to come in and be able to see me in training. I knew he’d probably want to keep me.
“I told all the hierarchy I need to go and play football, I don’t want to be here playing second fiddle.”