Manchester United will entertain Watford at the Old Trafford on Sunday night as the teams look set to resume their FA Cup campaign. Having lost 2-0 to local rivals Manchester City in midweek, the Red Devils will aim to bounce back to their winning ways against Xisco Munoz’s men. On the other hand, the Hornets were knocked out at the third round stage last year after losing to Tranmere Rovers in a replay.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer could make a number of changes from the midweek defeat to City as he is expected to rest some key players and opt for fresh legs instead. As a result, the Norwegian tactician might revert to the 4-2-3-1 formation.
Defence
Dean Henderson is expected to retain his spot between the sticks for the home side. The English shot-stopper put up a decent performance against Pep Guardiola’s men as he made numerous saves to keep his team in the game.
Given Victor Lindelof’s recent return from a back injury, Solskjaer might not play him twice in the space of five days. Hence, Eric Bailly will replace the Swedish defender to form the centre-half partnership with skipper Harry Maguire at the heart of United’s backline.
Alex Telles will replace Luke Shaw as the left-back whereas Aaron Wan-Bissaka will continue to feature on the other flank as the right-back. The latter often struggles to influence the game on the other end of the pitch; however, the game against Watford might turn out to be very different for the Englishman.
Midfield
Nemanja Matic is expected to replace Scott McTominay at the centre of the park, with Fred alongside him.
Having started every game since the 3-1 victory over West Ham United in the Premier League, Bruno Fernandes might not feature in the match with the Championship outfit as he looks likely to be given a rest.
“He wants to play every game, Bruno. Let’s see what team we come with on Saturday so I’ll have a chat with him about how he feels.”- Solskjaer stated.
As a result, summer signing Donny van de Beek could finally get the opportunity to start in the attacking midfield position.
Marcus Rashford and Mason Greenwood will occupy the wide positions, playing on the left and right-wing respectively. The English duo will be looking to use their pace and directness to breeze past the Hornets’ defence.
Paul Pogba might have to settle for a place on the bench but could come in the latter stages of the game if needed.
Attack
Anthony Martial will lead the home side’s attack up top. The Frenchman hasn’t been in his best form this season, often lacking the clinical touch in front of the goal, so he’ll be eager to impress on Sunday.
