Manchester United will lock horns with Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday evening at the back of a hard-fought 2-1 win over Tottenham Hotspur in midweek. Both teams will be desperate for the three points in what is expected to be an entertaining Manchester derby this weekend.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will likely start with a 4-2-3-1 formation and might make a couple of changes to his first-team for this encounter versus Pep Guardiola’s men.
4-2-3-1 Manchester United Predicted Lineup To Face Manchester City
Defence
David De Gea will retain his spot in between the sticks for Man United despite failing to earn a clean sheet versus Spurs in midweek. Victor Lindelof will continue to play alongside Harry Maguire at the centre of the Red Devils backline. The defensive duo will have their work cut out for them as they will be up against an in-form Gabriel Jesus.
Aaron Wan-Bissaka is a nailed-on starter at right-back. His defensive skills will be tested as he will be tasked with neutralising the threat of Raheem Sterling out on the wide areas. Brandon Willians might return to feature in the left-back position.
Solskjaer will be aware of the possibility of his defenders coming under a lot of pressure from a rampant Man City frontline. However, the Reds Devils will have to stand up to the challenge so that they can establish an ideal base to go on and secure a result at the Etihad.
Midfield
Scott McTominay played the full 90 minutes in his team’s 2-1 victory over Tottenham in midweek so Solskjaer might think about giving him a rest. However, the Norwegian head coach cannot afford not to play his best players against Man City, so he is expected to lean towards starting McTominay on Saturday.
Fred will once again get a chance to impress alongside the Scotland international in the holding midfield position. The hard-working duo will have to figure out a way to stop the Citizens from dominating possession at the centre of the park.
Daniel James will operate on the right-wing as he looks to showcase his talents against the champions of England. Marcus Rashford will hope to cause a lot of problems for the Man City defenders down the left flank. Juan Mata could get the nod to start in the number ten position as an attacking midfielder as both Jesse Lingard and Andreas Pereira are currently out of form.
Attack
Man United rising star Mason Greenwood will lead the line for the visitors up top. A lot of responsibility will fall on his young shoulders but a derby day goal could do his confidence a world of good.
Anthony Martial is a major doubt and might not recover in time for this clash at the Etihad.
