Manchester United will be hoping to end the year on a positive note following a barren spell of three games without a win as they host Southampton at the Old Trafford this weekend.
Despite standing in a respectable second place in the Premier League table, the Red Devils are seeking a much-needed victory, knowing that a minor slip up could cost them a lot with Chelsea breathing down their neck.
Things haven’t gone smoothly in the Manchester United camp of late, with players Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Marouane Fellaini constantly being on the end of some major transfer speculations. Therefore, registering a victory against a Southampton side, who were also left decimated following the transfer of star defender Virgil Van Dijk to Liverpool, could help them regain some confidence before the gear up for a gruelling footballing schedule for the month of January.
Here’s the predicted Man United lineup to feature against the Saints this weekend.
Defence
David de Gea will be the man between the sticks for Manchester United.
But Jose Mourinho is expected to shuffle his pack once again from their sapping midweek draw against Burnley. Victor Lindelof makes a strong case for being included in the starting lineup, replacing Ashley Young as the right back, while Luke Shaw might keep his place in the starting lineup in the left back position.
Marcos Rojo will start alongside Phil Jones in central defence, having escaped suspension. The Argentine will play a huge role in keeping the Southampton attack at bay this weekend. However, Chris Smalling is still nursing a knock and will be unavailable for an undefined period of time along with his teammate Eric Bailly.
Midfield
The midfield duo might remain the same with Paul Pogba and Nemanja Matic starting as the number six and number eight respectively.
This particular duo was highly successful for Man United in the early parts of the season and coach Jose Mourinho will be hoping for the same this weekend. Juan Mata will pull the strings from the central attacking position.
Attack
Anthony Martial has returned to full fitness and might as well feature in the starting lineup against Saints. The Frenchman could start as the right-sided midfielder with Marcus Rashford starting from the left.
Romelu Lukaku is expected to lead the line for the Red Devils this weekend with veteran striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who featured against the Clarets in midweek, settles for the bench.
