One thing we can say with a high degree of certainty after last week is that Erik ten Hag is not a fan of the rotation.
Faced with an easy FA Cup tie at home against Reading and a 3-0 aggregate cushion for the EFL Cup second leg against Forest, and with an escalating injury crisis, many hoped several tired legs would rest. .
But with the rare exception, they weren’t. So it seems inevitable that unless the tactics require a particular adjustment, the manager will field his strongest XI against Palace, the only question is, who do you think he is at this exact moment?
Well, David de Gea will definitely be back in goal despite Tom Heaton keeping a clean sheet in midweek.
Diogo Dalot may or may not be getting back to fitness, but Aaron Wan-Bissaka is fit and playing well so he will start. Luke Shaw will remain at left-back as he continues his recovery from a short layoff.
It seems clear that Ten Hag’s preferred centre-back pairing is Raphael Varane and Lisandro MartÃnez, so they will likely start as well, with Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof on the bench once again.
Christian Eriksen will be out until the end of April at the earliest and Donny van de Beek is also ruled out for the season, with Scott McTominay also expected to be absent for a week or two.
This leaves few options in central midfield. Marcel Sabitzer should be available to make his debut, as he signed on loan from Bayern Munich on deadline day. But given the gradual way in which Ten Hag introduced Casemiro to United, we think the Austrian is more likely to get half an hour off the bench rather than the full 90. Therefore, Casemiro and Fred are the intended starting defensive midfield pairing.
The in-form Marcus Rashford should be back on the left wing after being rested against Forest and the disappointing Antony will likely continue on the right, with Bruno Fernandes in the number 10 position.
Jadon Sancho played 30 minutes on Wednesday, but we think it’s unlikely he’ll start just yet, and therefore likely to come back. It remains to be seen if he will be in one of the small forward positions or in the surprising No. 10 role he was asked to play on Wednesday. The sight of Bruno shifted to the right flank to accommodate Jadon in the middle threw most fans off the beat, but it worked excellently so it could be a sign of things to come.
This leaves the question of who plays up top and it seems logical that Anthony Martial would get the nod having also played 30 minutes and scored in the EFL semi-final.
Wout Weghorst has been a very capable substitute, but now perhaps he needs a rest and Martial’s increased pace, tricks and movement should be more beneficial in breaking down Palace’s stubborn defensive unit. It will also be good for the Frenchman’s confidence to pick up immediately.
With all that in mind, here’s our predicted XI for Saturday’s game:
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