Aston Villa will face off against Manchester United at Old Trafford on Saturday afternoon as they try to grind out a result on their travels in the Premier League. The Villans were beaten on penalties by Chelsea in the EFL Cup third round recently, so they will be eager to produce a solid performance versus the Red Devils this weekend.
Dean Smith will probably opt for a 3-5-2 formation and is expected to make plenty of changes to his first team for this game. We can expect Danny Ings to resume his attacking partnership with Ollie Watkins in the final third.
3-5-2 Aston Villa Predicted Lineup Vs Manchester United
Defence
Emiliano Martinez will function in goal for the West Midlands club after he was rested in midweek. Smith could choose to go with a back three of Ezri Konsa, Kortney Hause and Tyrone Mings for this game as they try to keep Man United’s Cristiano Ronaldo quiet throughout the 90 minutes.
Axel Tuanzebe won’t be available to face his parent club this weekend.
Midfield
Jacob Ramsey, Douglas Luiz and John McGinn will probably anchor the midfield for the Villans as they focus on making life difficult for the opposition at the centre of the park. Matt Targett could feature as the left wing-back while Matty Cash hopes to put in another productive showing down the right flank. Smith will ask his wing-backs to keep a good shape defensively and be selective about when to join in on the attack.
Both McGinn and Targett are significant concerns ahead of this game but the hard-working duo should start if they can pass a late fitness test. Marvelous Nakamba will be available for selection on Smith’s bench as he offers cover for the central midfield positions.
Attack
As mentioned earlier, Ollie Watkins and Danny Ings will lead the line for the Midlands outfit up top. Both strikers got a rest in midweek and would be keen on producing a fruitful performance collectively when they lace up to take on the Man United defenders this weekend.
Leon Bailey is a major doubt for this game but both Bertrand Traore and Emiliano Buendia should be named on the bench. Smith could rely on their services if he decides to change his formation at any point during the clash.
