Manchester United will lock horns with Aston Villa at Old Trafford on Saturday afternoon, hoping to build on their unbeaten run in the Premier League. The Red Devils will be coming into the match on the back of a disappointing 0-1 defeat to West Ham United in the third round of the Carabao Cup, whereas Dean Smith’s men recorded a 1-1 (4-3 on penalties) loss against Chelsea in midweek.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will probably opt for the 4-2-3-1 formation with plenty of tweaks from the last game. Paul Pogba might get the nod over Donny van de Beek whereas Mason Greenwood looks likely to make his way back into the starting eleven.
4-2-3-1 Predicted Manchester United Lineup Vs Aston Villa
Defence
David de Gea is expected to start in between the sticks for the upcoming clash. The Spanish shot-stopper would be looking to put up a strong performance and secure a clean sheet on Saturday.
Raphael Varane will replace Victor Lindelof to form the centre-half partnership with skipper Harry Maguire at the heart of United’s backline.
Aaron Wan-Bissaka is a guaranteed starter at the right-back position, whereas Luke Shaw will fill in on the other flank as the left-back. The English duo would be expected to stay compact and keep their shape defensively.
Midfield
Fred is expected to start over Nemanja Matic in the defensive midfield position, whereas Paul Pogba will slot in as the central midfielder. The duo would be determined to dominate the midfield proceedings this weekend.
Bruno Fernandes remains a sure-fire starter for Manchester United this week, and it’ll be an understatement to say The Red Devils will be highly dependent on the Portugal international’s creative work if they wish to pick up a win on Saturday.
Jadon Sancho and Mason Greenwood will take up the wide positions, playing on the left and right-wing respectively.
Donny van de Beek will have to settle for a place on the bench, but he could be brought on in the second half of the contest if needed.
Attack
Following a complete rest in midweek, Cristiano Ronaldo is expected to lead the line for the hosts against Aston Villa. The 36-year-old striker’s adept movement in front of the goal could cause a lot of trouble for the Villa defence that has conceded four goals in their last three league matches.
Speaking on Wednesday, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer delivered a hint on Marcus Rashford’s potential return date.
“Yeah, it’s going well. They’ve worked really hard, both of them. Alex is a bit further on than Marcus. I don’t think we’ll see Marcus until after the international break, but Alex has worked well and will be in the squad as well,” he told Manchester United’s official website.
