A happy respite from Premier League action this evening, as United look to join their Mancunian brethren City and Arsenal in the semi-finals of the League Cup. And a happy respite too, perhaps, for Henrikh Mkhitaryan, who has travelled to Bristol with the rest of the squad and who might, if he’s very lucky, get to play a game of football. A festive miracle.

Presumably we won’t fully understand what exactly has happened between Jose Mourinho and Mkhitaryan until many years from now, when the tell-all autobiographies are out and everybody’s decided to have their say. But the situation is definitely a bit weird, which invites speculation. Personality clash? His declining performances? Harsh words between the two? Your guess is as good as ours.

Other United squad players in with a shout of a start this evening include Axel Tuanzebe, Sergio Romero, and somebody called “Paul Pogba”. Rings a faint bell. Those that haven’t travelled include David de Gea, Ashley Young, Nemanja Matic, and Phil Jones. Be nice for Ibrahimovic to get a game too.

As for Bristol City, they’ve won their last four league games and are currently sitting third in the Championship table. Could be a tricky one. But it should be a pleasant evening for Mourinho, whatever the result: Lee Johnson, manager of the Robins, has flown in a special bottle of wine for the occasion.

Carabao Cup schedule

We kick off at 20.00 in Bristol, which is 15.00 on the east coast of the USA and 12.00 over on the west. Get back to work.

Carabao Cup TV channel

Sky Sports Main Event in the UK, ESPN 3 in the USA, and livesoccertv for the rest of you.

Carabao Cup streaming

Sky Sports Go in the UK, and WatchESPN in the USA.

Starting lineup

This will also be our live thread for the game, so do join in the comments below.