Manchester United will entertain Manchester City at the Old Trafford on Wednesday night as the teams look set to resume their Carabao Cup campaign. Having won their last league matches against Aston Villa and Chelsea respectively, both sides will be heading into the Derby in high spirits looking to pick up a win that would cement their position in the final staged at Wembley Stadium.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will probably opt for the 4-4-2(diamond) formation, a set-up he has used occasionally this season. However, the Norwegian coach is expected to keep changes to a minimum for the upcoming home encounter.
Defence
David de Gea will continue to operate in between the sticks for the Red Devils. The Spanish stopper put up a strong performance against the Villans last week as he made numerous saves to keep his side in the lead.
Victor Lindelof has been struggling with back pain for some time now. Hence, skipper Harry Maguire will form his customary centre-half partnership with Eric Bailly for the fourth game in a row. The latter has been in fine form over the past few matches, providing United with much-needed solidity at the back.
Aaron Wan-Bissaka is a guaranteed starter at the right-back spot whereas Luke Shaw will fill in on the other flank, as the left-back. With Riyad Mahrez and Raheem Sterling up next, the English full-backs will be expected to stay compact and keep their shape defensively.
Midfield
Scott McTominay will continue to feature alongside Fred in the holding midfield position, with the former being assigned with more of a defensive role to shield the home side’s ‘back-four’.
Paul Pogba dropped a match-winning performance against Dean Smith’s men last time out as he played a major role in the build-up to United’s first goal and won a penalty for the second, so the Frenchman should retain his position at the centre of the park.
If there’s one man Solskjaer cannot afford to bench at the moment, it’s Bruno Fernandes. The Portuguese playmaker has been winning games almost single-handedly this season as he is expected to start in the attacking midfield position once again.
Donny Van de Beek will have to settle for a place on the bench but might come in the later stages of the game if needed.
Attack
Marcus Rashford is expected partner Anthony Martial to lead Solskjaer’s attack up top. The French striker managed to find the back of the net last week, and he would be hoping to repeat more of the same on Wednesday night.
Edinson Cavani remains suspended for the midweek clash.
