Jose Mourinho will be without as many as six players when Manchester United will take on Middlesbrough on Sunday. The Red Devils will be coming on the back of a 1-0 win over FC Rostov which cleared their way to the Europa League quarter-finals.
Paul Pogba and Daley Blind will be unavailable after they sustained injuries in the Europa League. Zlatan Ibrahimovic has been banned for three games and will serve his second one. Middlesbrough parted ways with their manager Aitor Karanka and the under-pressure side would be keen to hijack a point from the Red Devils. A win against the Riversiders will see United notch up their 600th win in the Premier League, a first in the English top tier.
Marcus Rashford
The teenager will most likely take Ibrahimovic’s place. Mourinho has barely used the player upfront as Ibrahimovic has been the man in form for the side. But with the lanky Swede unavailable for a brief period, the England international has to cope up with the pressure and deliver for the side.
Rashford’s lack of game time has been a concern amongst the club hierarchy but now he has the opportunity to prove his mettle in the Premier League. He hasn’t lost his appetite and we have seen this in the Chelsea match. Rashford’s dribbling and sudden burst of pace make him a little different from the other sought after strikers in the Premier League.
Henrikh Mkhitaryan
The Armenian playmaker continues to play a vital part in United’s resurgence. He was involved in the crucial goal against FC Rostov which decided United’s fate in the Europa League and Mourinho would once again rely on his trusted player. He has adapted to the conditions much better than Paul Pogba who is yet to find his best form in the Red jersey. The playmaker’s initial struggle has made him a more determined player than before and we could see this from his performances.
Juan Mata
He has been one of the best players for United since his departure from Stamford Bridge. Many expressed their concern after Mourinho was appointed the manager of the Red Devils but after sorting all the differences, Mata has become an important part of United’s starting lineup and should start aginst Boro. His creativity and invention in tight spaces have come in handy on more than one occasion and after Ibrahimovic, he is their most influential player.
