Manchester United will aspire to close the gap on top four when they travel to Villa Park to face Aston Villa in the Premier League on Sunday evening.
The Red Devils have climbed up to sixth in the table following back-to-back Premier League wins on Wolverhampton Wanderers and West Ham United. They smashed David Moyes’ West Ham 3-0 at Old Trafford last time out to extend their unbeaten run to four games across all competitions.
Erik ten Hag’s side look revitalised and they can cut the deficit to five points with a win over Aston Villa, who head into this fixture after tasting elimination from the FA Cup at the hands of Chelsea in midweek.
Manchester United Team News
Manchester United suffered a body blow last weekend when Lisandro Martinez suffered a knee injury in the second half against West Ham, and the Argentinean defender is now confirmed to spend at least eight weeks on the sidelines. He joins Anthony Martial, Mason Mount and Tyrell Malacia on the sidelines, while Aaron Wan-Bissaka dropped out of Thursday’s training session with an unspecified problem and may miss the trip to Aston Villa.
Predicted Manchester United lineup vs Aston Villa (4-2-3-1)
Goalkeeper
Andre Onana will aim to keep back-to-back clean sheets in the Premier League when Man United travel to Aston Villa. The team will rely on the Cameroonian to produce vital moments in goal when needed.
Defence
Raphael Varane appears to be the favourite to replace the crocked Lisandro Martinez in defence. The Frenchman should join Harry Maguire in central defence, with Luke Shaw and Diogo Dalot operating as the full-backs.
Dalot will look to invert into midfield in possession and try to help Man United control the game. Meanwhile, Shaw’s combination with Marcus Rashford and overlapping runs on the left could cause problems for the hosts.
Midfield
Casemiro will act as a protective layer for the visitors’ defence, and the Brazilian will have the support of Kobbie Mainoo and Bruno Fernandes in the engine room. They will look to control possession and dictate the tempo of the game.
With Casemiro and Mainoo behind, Fernandes should get the freedom to move anywhere across the pitch and create chances for the front three. Christian Eriksen, Scott McTominay and Sofyan Amrabat could be introduced in the second half as per the game’s demands.
Attack
There is no looking past Man United’s front three of Alejandro Garnacho, Rasmus Hojlund and Marcus Rashford at the moment. The trio have started clicking into gear, combining well in the final third and scoring goals.
With Rashford and Garnacho’s pace and directness out wide, and Hojlund’s predatory movements in the box, the Red Devils’ front three could make life difficult for Villa defenders.
Antony, Omari Forson and Amad Diallo will be vying for their chances to make an impact off the bench.
I am Rohan Sengupta from one of the busiest cities in India, Mumbai. A Journalism graduate with a keen interest in sports, football is something I simply cannot live without and writing, discussing and analyzing the game is what I do 24*7.
