Manchester United will face Liverpool on Sunday at Old Trafford. David Moyes has Nani back in the squad as well as seeing Jonny Evans and Hernandez return to training. It is unlikely that any of these will feature from the beginning though, as United look to attempt to back up their away victory over West Brom with a victory against their biggest rivals.
There’s no reason for Moyes to look beyond Smalling and Jones as his central defensive partnership as both Vidic and Ferdinand are likely to struggle with the pace offered by the Liverpool forwards. Carrick and Fellaini should partner in midfield with the apparent fantastic four starting together for the second game in a row.
Van Persie has been in the headlines this week and has faced condemnation for his attitude and his performances. He has, of course, made the obligatory statement to claim his happiness and his commitment to the club long term, unfortunately, his body language on the pitch suggests something quite different, and the change in performance of the team once Welbeck came on in his place last week was noticeable. That said, it’s unlikely that David Moyes would drop him and his record against Liverpool is very impressive.
It’s yet another must win for United, and the weakness that will undoubtedly have been identified will be the back four. If United move the ball quickly (and forward) from the start, there’s every chance they will be able to make life very difficult for a defensive unit that has generally shipped goals, but has been bailed out by their indomitable strike force.
