Manchester United’s place in the Europa League knockout stages is already secure – though the Red Devils still have a little work to do in order to ensure they top the group.
Their fifth game takes place in Kazakhstan, against FC Astana. With temperatures set to reach -20 degrees, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s squad will be grateful that the game will be played in a roofed stadium.
With the Baby Faced Assassin taking a youthful-looking squad, expect debuts aplenty. Sixteen members of the eighteen-man party are academy graduates, fourteen of them are teenagers. That’s what this club is all about.
Anyway, with that in mind, let’s delve right into the predicted starting XI – including debuts for Ethan Laird and Dylan Levitt, while Timothy Fosu-Mensah will make his eagerly-anticipated injury return.
First up, let’s start with Lee Grant. The veteran will play in between the sticks in a rare start.
Axel Tuanzebe makes his comeback from injury, as does his centre-back partner, Timothy Fosu-Mensah. It’ll be intriguing to see how the Dutchman gets on. Luke Shaw is another who returns from time spent on the treatment table, while Ethan Laird is handed a debut in the right-back position.
James Garner plays in midfield and he’ll have Dylan Levitt alongside him. This is a duo with so much potential and I seriously can’t wait to see how they get on.
The front four contains familiar faces. Mason Greenwood will lead the line, with Angel Gomes in the #10 slot. Tahith Chong will start on the left flank, while Jesse Lingard completes the team.
Be the first to comment