Manchester United will entertain Partizan at Old Trafford on Thursday night hoping to seal qualification into the knockout stages of the UEFA Europa League with a win. The Red Devils were taking a step in the right direction before it all came to a halt last weekend when Bournemouth beat them with a narrow 1-0 scoreline.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will now have to find a way to lift his boys for the visit of Partizan in midweek. The Mancunian giants will likely opt for a 4-2-3-1 formation with Solskjaer making a whole host of changes to his side for this European encounter.
4-2-3-1 Manchester United Predicted Lineup To Face Partizan
Defence
David De Gea started in the narrow defeat versus the Cherries, so he is likely to be rested for this game. Sergio Romero will probably get the nod to begin the match in goal for Man United. The Argentine custodian secured a clean sheet in each of his last two outings in the Europa League against Astana and Partizan respectively. He will hope for a similar outcome against the team from Belgrade later this week.
Phil Jones might get another opportunity to impress alongside Harry Maguire at the heart of the Red Devils backline. Both defenders will look to keep things secured at the back so that they can earn a shut-out in front of the home supporters.
Aaron Wan-Bissaka will have to put in a solid shift at right-back as Diogo Dalot is unlikely to be ready in time for this clash. The 19-year-old Brandon Williams will likely get a chance to prove his worth in the left-back position. Both full-backs will need to provide enough support for the Man United frontline that has often been starved of goal-scoring opportunities this season.
Ashley Young will have to settle for a spot on the bench and might come on to participate in this match if required.
Midfield
Scott McTominay will likely play alongside the Man United youngster, James Garner after they put in an impressive performance in the reverse fixture versus Partizan last month. Both midfielders will be expected to dictate play and establish the home team’s dominance at the centre of the park.
The talented trio of Mason Greenwood, Jesse Lingard and Daniel James will need to interchange passes amongst each other and create some decent opportunities in the opposition half. Both James and Greenwood knows what it takes to score goals for United this season so they would have to be clinical in the final third.
Juan Mata and Andreas Pereira might be demoted to Solskjaer’s bench as they have failed to impress with their recent showings on the field.
Attack
Marcus Rashford will once again get the opportunity to lead the charge for the Red Devils up top. He has performed well as a winger of late. So now that the English striker has gotten some confidence back, he might be more productive as a striker in midweek.
