Erik ten Hag will be without Raphael Varane for tomorrow’s Europa League clash with Sheriff Tiraspol at Old Trafford.
Varane suffered a recurrence of a hamstring injury against Chelsea on Saturday, which could mean he will miss the rest of United’s pre-World Cup games.
Victor Lindelof has been a capable substitute so far this season and is expected to replace the Frenchman despite Harry Maguire closing in on fitness after his own injury.
As for the rest of the defense, given the level of opposition, it could be that Luke Shaw rests and Tyrell Malacia runs at left back.
Diogo Dalot and Lisandro Martínez have no obvious substitutes so are likely to continue, as is David de Gea in goal.
From the outset, the big question is whether Cristiano Ronaldo will be offered the olive branch of a starting job after his high-profile passing and subsequent posting last week.
This could hinge on whether Anthony Martial has recovered from a lower back injury in time to participate.
At a press conference on Friday, Ten Hag said: “I was in the [training] release, but it’s not available for tomorrow [against Chelsea]. We have to see how it develops in the next few days”, which could mean at least a place on the bench.
In this case, Marcus Rashford could start again with Martial and/or Ronaldo making their appearances from the bench.
A home game against lowly opposition could be the ideal time for Jadon Sancho to rediscover his form after a disappointing couple of games. Therefore, we believe that he will again be chosen on the left wing, with Antonio on the right.
In Donny van de Beek’s continued absence, Bruno Fernandes is the only experienced No. 10 specialist available, so he too will likely be pressured into action once again.
This leaves the pivot positions, with two of Casemiro, Christian Eriksen, Fred and Scott McTominay to choose from.
While it would be advantageous to rest Casemiro and Eriksen, McTominay’s poor judgment in conceding a penalty against Chelsea won’t see him selected by the manager, so overall it could be a case of sticking with the winner of the game. Chelsea and Eriksen.
The manager will hope that United can build a clear advantage at half time or in the hour of play so that five of the players like Casemiro, Eriksen, Fernandes, Antony, Rashford, Dalot, Lisandro and Rashford can rest before the Premier clash. Sunday League with West. Ham.
With all of that in mind, here is our anticipated XI for the Sheriff game:
United Matchday Magazine: Everything fans need in one place Take a seat for the Sheriff match and join the debate on United’s hottest topics!
Get all the match preparation, articles, news, riddles, nostalgia and humor. Online soccer content like you’ve never seen it before. No ads, no clickbait, no fake news – just 100% pure United. secure online ordering Click Preview to see more or shop for just £1.25 / $1.50 Limited Time Offer: SAVE £10 On A Season Pass – Use Discount Code SEASON35 At Checkout.
