Erik ten Hag has confirmed that Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial have been training this week ahead of today’s Manchester derby.
Our predicted XI published on Thursday was based on the assumption that neither would make it, but in light of the manager’s comments, Rashford seems more likely to start.
Ten Hag said in the pre-match press conference that there were still “doubts” about Martial even though he impressed throughout the week.
He didn’t say the same about Rashford.
Martial has only played 45 minutes of football this season, coming on as a substitute in United’s 2-1 win over Liverpool. He will not be fit for the match and therefore he will likely only be seen in a cameo from the bench.
Rashford, on the other hand, has only missed three games and although he has been out for almost a month, he should be much closer to being fit than the 26-year-old.
Given his good form before he was injured, the confidence boost from being voted Premier League Player of the Month and given Cristiano Ronaldo’s struggle to find form, it seems very likely that Ten Hag will back Rashford as a starter, especially knowing that you would then have two options on the bench to replace it after an hour or so.
On the other hand, the biggest question is probably whether a space will be created for Casemiro to make his first start for the club.
The Brazilian shone on international duty last week and his world-class defensive capabilities could be a huge advantage against a strong attacking side like City.
However, Scott McTominay’s form will make him tough to take down.
The only other options are to drop Christian Eriksen or Bruno Fernandes, but this will sacrifice a lot of midfield creativity.
Therefore, we believe that Casemiro will remain on the bench, but it will certainly be a close decision.
With all of that in mind, here is our revised planned lineup for the game:
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