Manchester United face Istanbul Basaksehir in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday looking to recover from a disappointing 1-0 defeat to Arsenal on Sunday. The Red Devils have performed well in Europe so far, notably securing a thumping 5-0 win over RB Leipzig last week and a win against Basaksehir could go a long way in helping them secure qualification to the next round.
Predicted Manchester United Lineup Vs Istanbul Basaksehir
Defence
Ole-Gunnar Solskjaer has no reason to make any change in goal despite the compulsion to rotate his pack, in light of a congested fixture list. So we expect David de Gea to remain in goal, ahead of Dean Henderson. However, there could be changes elsewhere in defence.
Eric Bailly has been ruled out until international break, and with Harry Maguire expected to feature in the English side, we could expect Axel Tuanzebe to feature at centre-back, alongside Victor Lindelof.
Alex Telles, unfortunately, is also out quarantined after contracting Covid-19. It makes Luke Shaw almost a guaranteed starter at left-back, while Aaron Wan-Bissaka could continue on the opposite flank, ahead of Timothy Fosu-Mensah.
Midfield
Scott McTominay was given a start on Sunday against Arsenal, so Nemanja Matic could be a favourite to return to the side here. The Serbian veteran is tipped to occupy the defensive midfield role, allowing Fred, who is an automatic starter, to feature in a slightly advanced role.
The Brazilian would usually partner Paul Pogba, but following the Frenchman’s abysmal performance on the weekend, new signing Donny van de Beek might get a rare opportunity. These two will operate at the base of Solskjaer’s 4-1-2-1-2 formation.
Attack
Bruno Fernandes should retain his role in the number ten position, looking to bounce back from a relatively disappointing performance against Arsenal. He will remain one of the main sources of creativity for Manchester United going forward.
Further forward, new signing Edinson Cavani is struggling in terms of fitness and so giving him a start could yet be a risky move for Solskjaer. Fortunately for the Norwegian though, Anthony Martial is an option after missing out against Arsenal due to suspension.
The Frenchman is, in fact, a guaranteed starter in the number nine role. He will look to spearhead the Manchester United attack alongside Marcus Rashford, though Juan Mata is also an option should Solskjaer opt for a lone striker upfront.
