Manchester United will lock horns with Aston Villa at Villa Park on Saturday night, hoping to pick up a win away from home. The Red Devils will be coming into the match on the back of a narrow 1-0 win over Aston Villa in the third round of the prestigious FA Cup competition.
Team News
Cristiano Ronaldo and Jadon Sancho missed the Cup clash with minor problems, but they are expected to be in contention to make the starting eleven on Saturday.
“I spoke with Cristiano [on Sunday] before training, he told me that he’s had some problems for the last couple of days. Minor problems, but in the end, we decided that it made more sense to not take any risks.” – Rangnick revealed.
The weekend might come too soon for skipper Harry Maguire as he hasn’t been able to train yet.
“Harry hasn’t been able to train, as yet, and we have to wait and see how this develops, tomorrow or the day after tomorrow. There is still a question mark.”
Besides, Diogo Dalot picked up a nasty ankle injury in Manchester United’s 1-0 victory against the Villans. Both Luke Shaw and Scott McTominay are set to miss out on the trip to Villa Park through suspension while Eric Bailly is at the African Cup of Nations.
The German tactician will probably opt for the 4-2-2-2 formation with a couple of tweaks from the last game. In defence, Alex Telles might get the nod over Luke Shaw, whereas Cristiano Ronaldo seems likely to make his way back into the starting eleven.
4-2-2-2 Predicted Manchester United Lineup Vs Aston Villa
Defence
David de Gea is expected to start 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 is expected to start at the heart of United’s backline, with Victor Lindelof slotting into the right-centre back position. Alex Telles is a guaranteed starter at the left-back position, whereas Aaron Wan-Bissaka will fill in on the other flank as the right-back.
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Midfield
Fred is expected to start in the defensive midfield position, whereas Nemanja Matic will slot in as the central midfielder.
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 this weekend.
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
Jadon Sancho will take up the wide position, causing menace for Gerrard’s men down the right-wing.
Cristiano Ronaldo is expected to lead the line for Manchester United on Saturday. 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 seven goals in their last five matches across all competitions.
Edinson Cavani could partner the Portuguese striker up top.
Mason Greenwood could be brought off the bench as an impact substitute in the second forty-five minutes of the match.
