Carrick makes 1 big change | Predicted Man Utd XI vs Aston Villa as £19m star returns
Manchester United welcome Aston Villa to Old Trafford in today’s Premier League clash.
The Red Devils have had an extended break after the 2-1 loss to Newcastle United and will be determined to return to winning ways against Unai Emery’s side.
United are still third in the standings with 51 points. They can put some distance between themselves and the chasing pack in the Champions League pursuit with a win.
A victory would see them move three points clear of Aston Villa and six in front of Chelsea and Liverpool, though the latter have to face Tottenham Hotspur later today.
Ahead of today’s encounter, we anticipate one change to the starting XI.
Formation: 4-2-3-1
Predicted Line-up:
Senne Lammens has been an undisputed starter since making his Red Devils debut in October against Sunderland. He will be eyeing his sixth clean sheet of the campaign against Villa.
The backline could witness a solitary change. Harry Maguire and Leny Yoro are poised to continue in the heart of the defence. Lisandro Martinez has already been ruled out with a calf issue.
Luke Shaw had some fitness concerns earlier this month and looks back to full fitness. The Englishman is poised to continue in the left-back position for the Mancunian heavyweights.
However, we could see a switch at right-back. Diogo Dalot was benched for Noussair Mazraoui in the Magpies game. There could be a straight swap in positions for the encounter.
The £19 million signing was a nailed-on starter under manager Michael Carrick until the previous match The Portuguese is likely to be reinstated in the starting XI by the 44-year-old.
In midfield, no changes are on the cards. With no other competition workload, Casemiro is guaranteed to continue in the number six role, with Kobbie Mainoo operating as the central midfielder.
Similarly, Bruno Fernandes is assured to continue as the attacking midfielder. The club captain has 14 assists in the league season, just one shy of David Beckham’s Premier League record for United.
In the final third, Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha have been hugely consistent and should get the nod over Amad Diallo. They should start on the right and left wing, respectively, this afternoon.
Benjamin Sesko is a nailed-on starter upfront with his sparkling run of scoring form. The Slovenian has netted three winning goals and a dramatic equaliser since Carrick took charge in January.
How Man Utd could line up vs Aston Villa
Stats from Transfermarkt.com
Article written by Sri Aswin .