Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag is likely to keep the same squad that beat Tottenham Hotspur 2-0 on Wednesday for the trip to Stamford Bridge to face Chelsea on Saturday.
Simply put, the performance was so good that barring injury, illness or exhaustion, the manager will surely want the momentum to continue with the same XI.
Fred probably came in as third choice alongside Casemiro in midfield against Newcastle as Scott McTominay was suspended and Christian Eriksen was ill.
His performance against the Magpies generated much criticism in the media and on social media and he was expected to break through against Spurs, but Ten Hag kept faith with him and was rewarded with a fantastic performance in midfield.
It was surely persuasive for him to keep his place, as was Casemiro’s performance alongside him.
This means that Scott McTominay and Christian Eriksen will likely start on the bench.
Harry Maguire could become available for selection again, but neither he nor Victor Lindelof or Tyrell Malacia is likely to displace the in-form Raphael Varane, Lisandro Martinez, Diogo Dalot and Luke Shaw.
The forward four also performed very well and will probably continue, although if Anthony Martial is fit he could start with Marcus Rashford rested or with Rashford moved to one of the wings and Sancho or Antony rested.
However, it seems more likely that Martial will also start on the bench if he is available.
One player who is highly unlikely to start is Cristiano Ronaldo. It was clear to see how much better the team performed without him as the system was more fluid. Also, the coach is unlikely to reward his antics by leaving the ground before the end of the game with a start.
Donny Van de Beek, Brandon Williams, Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Axel Tuanzebe remain out due to injury.
With all of that in mind, here is our predicted XI for Saturday’s match:
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