Manchester United will welcome back Marcel Sabitzer and Lisandro Martinez but lose Casemiro for their Sunday afternoon Premier League clash with Leicester City at Old Trafford.
The duo return after missing Thursday’s Europa League clash through suspension, but Casemiro must return to the naughty step to complete his own three-match domestic ban.
With the crucial return leg against Barça looming on Thursday, manager Erik ten Hag might decide to freshen up his side, although he is wont to always pick his best XI no matter what, with a couple of exceptions.
One of those is the careful management of Raphael Varane, who might be kept in cotton wool again this weekend with Thursday in mind.
If he is rested, he could be replaced by Harry Maguire but there is also a chance that Victor Lindelof will be given the nod. Maguire’s performance last time out against Leeds was erratic to say the least.
It is uncertain why Aaron Wan-Bissaka got the nod over Diogo Dalot against Barça – simple preference, better defensive capabilities, or whether Dalot is being eased back in. But as with Maguire against Leeds, Wan-Bissaka’s performance against Barça was erratic. We expect Dalot to be reinstated for the Leicester match, especially as it is a game where attack is arguably more important than defence.
Lisandro is likely to slot back in at left centre back with Luke Shaw returning to left back and Tyrell Malacia dropping to the bench.
In midfield, Ten Hag has said he expects Scott McTominay to be fit for the game, but it seems unlikely he will start. Fred and Sabitzer seems the most likely pairing, with the Scotsman potentially getting 30 minutes off the bench in the second half.
Ten Hag has suggested the weekend might come too soon for Antony’s return, so we expect to see the same four of Sancho, Rashford, Fernandes and Weghorst again, although whether the latter plays at centre forward or at number 10 remains to be seen.
David de Gea will, of course, continue in goal.
With all that in mind, here is our predicted XI for Sunday’s 2pm kick-off:
SOURCE: thepeoplesperson
