Manchester United will be pushing for a top-four berth when they visit the Riverside Stadium on Sunday. A host of players will be unavailable and it’s a very tricky situation for Jose Mourinho to choose the best starting lineup. This fixture is a must-win game for them if they want to really capitalise after Arsenal fell against West Bromwich Albion.
Key Battles
Henrikh Mkhitaryan Vs Ben Gibson
Middlesbrough have been one of the most disciplined defensive sides and have conceded only 30 goals so far. Ben Gibson has been absolutely rock solid for the Riversiders and he has to deal with Mkhitaryan who has been having a good run of games. The Armenian had been frozen out after the first 45 minutes of the first Manchester derby of the season but has come back strongly.
Since then Mkhitaryan has reestablished his position after giving a string of excellent performances. Mkhitaryan started in the no. 10 position in the FA Cup but had to be called off after Ander Herrera got the marching orders from the referee. But in this match, he needs to be on the pitch for as long as possible to make a positive impact on the field.
Marcos Rojo vs Fabio
The Argentine defender has developed into one of the best defenders in this Premier League. In the absence of Daley Blind and Luke Shaw, Mourinho will opt for him on the left side of the defence. His defensive ability has improved immensely and attacking wise he has been also very fruitful.
His marauding runs through the flanks and ability to deliver an inch-perfect cross could create a problem for the Boro players. However, he has the knack of going into rough tackles which has earned him a number of bookings. Except that, Rojo has been a far better player than he was before.
Ex-Manchester United defender Fabio will have the task to stop Rojo from making his surging runs. Fabio has been a regular under Karanka and should continue against the Red Devils even though the boss has left.
Marcus Rashford vs Victor Valdes
The youngster will try to capitalise on his chances. He hasn’t been utilised much by Mourinho this season and has played on the wings most of the time. Rashford has seven goals for United and will be looking to add few more to his tally but up against him will be ex-United keeper Victor Valdes. Valdes had a short stint with the Red Devils and will try to use most of his experience to keep him at bay.
