Manchester United will be looking to keep their unbeaten run intact as they travel to St. Marys to face Southampton on the weekend. Jose Mourinho’s side is one of two teams, that are yet to lose this term, with table-toppers and city rivals Manchester City being the other. A win is paramount for the Red Devils if they are to keep pace with Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City. But getting the better of the Saints won’t be that easy, especially with defender Virgil Van Dijk braced for his comeback.
Here’s the predicted 4-2-3-1 Manchester United lineup to appear against Mauricio Pellegrino’s men.
Goalkeeper: David de Gea will start in goal for the Red Devils. Always an appealing prospect in the transfer conundrum, the Spanish International has already kept four clean sheets in five matches this season.
Right Back: Antonio Valencia’s industrious work rate on the right flank will be crucial as Jose Mourinho’s men look to breach the sturdy Southampton defence.
Center Back(R): Jose Mourinho will rotate his squad after a 4:1 drubbing of Burton in midweek. Eric Bailly will replace Chris Smalling in the centre of the defence. The Ivorian has been an important part of their defensive solidity this season.
Center Back(L): Phil Jones will also switch places with new signing Victor Lindelof, who started against Burton. Jones’ rock-hard partnership with Bailly has been one of the reasons behind Manchester United’s early success so far.
Left Back: Luke Shaw will be fit to play against his former team but is very unlikely to start. Therefore, we expect Daley Blind to retain his spot in the starting lineup.
Central Midfield(R): It will be a test for Manchester United’s strength in depth a gruelling schedule awaits them for the rest of the month. Marouane Fellaini will be called into action after being rested in midweek.
Central Midfield(L): Nemanja Matic will provide cover for the defensive line. The Serbian has been an instant hit after signing from Chelsea this summer. His presence will definitely make the midfield much stronger for Manchester United.
Right Wing: A complete change in the lineup from the midweek’s game might see Juan Mata making a start from the right flank. Jesse Lingard was deployed on the right against Burton and the English midfielder also chipped in with a goal as well. But Juan Mata’s intelligence and positioning sense in the final third will be crucial to breaking down the Southampton defence.
Central Attacking Midfield: Henrikh Mkhitaryan will start as the central playmaker for the Red Devils. The Armenian has been in fine form this season, leading the assists chart in the Premier League with five assists already to his name. He’ll be looking to provide more of them against Southampton this weekend.
Left Wing: Anthony Martial played really well against Burton and might just keep his place in the starting lineup. However, Markus Rashford was also brilliant, and he too will remain an option for coach Jose Mourinho.
Striker: Romelu Lukaku will lead his side’s offence against Southampton. Already scoring five times this season, Lukaku is the leading scorer in the Premier League so far. His intimidating presence will cause some problems for the opposition defence.
This is how they might line up:
