Manchester United get ready to host rival Man City in the Manchester derby this weekend, in what should be a fantastic matchup between two of the best teams in the league.
Both teams have started the season with 3 wins in 3 matches, adding even further excitement to an already compelling matchup.
Let’s take a look at a possible lineup for Manchester United.
GK- David de Gea
De Gea has firmly established himself as one of the best goalkeepers in the EPL, having made the Premier League PFA Team of the Year each of the past two seasons.
Manchester United may need him to come up with some big saves on Saturday in what figures to be a difficult matchup against Man City.
LB- Luke Shaw
Shaw picked up a minor calf injury in training while on international break with England, but England manager Sam Allardyce has said he thinks Shaw should be fit by this weekend. If he’s not available, Daley Blind can move over to left back and Chris Smalling can fill in at center back.
CB- Eric Bailly and Daley Blind
Chris Smalling may work his way into the starting lineup at some point, but for now Manchester United will likely stick with the Bailly-Blind combo.
Bailly and Blind are both in the top 3 on the team in tackles, interceptions, and clearances, and they have helped anchor a Manchester United defense that has only allowed 1 goal in 3 EPL matches so far this year.
RB- Antonio Valencia
Valencia will only be returning from international duty one day prior to the game against Manchester City, but he has been so good for Manchester United this year that it will be very difficult for Mourinho to take him out of the lineup for such an important game. If Valencia is not deemed ready to play on Saturday, Matteo Darmian could potentially fill in at right back for this match.
CM- Paul Pogba and Marouane Fellaini
It’s an easy decision to start Pogba, as Manchester United did not pay a record fee to have him sitting on the bench. He will likely be paired with Marouane Fellaini who has had a much better start to the season than anyone could have expected. Fellaini has been dealing with a back injury, but it has been reported that he should be fit for Saturday.
AML- Anthony Martial
Martial was great for Manchester United last season, but he has not been quite as good so far this year. He will need to improve if he wants to keep his starting spot long-term, but for now he will likely remain a starter.
AMC- Wayne Rooney
Rooney had the assist to set up Marcus Rashford for the game winning goal in Manchester United’s last match against Hull City, proving he is still an important player for this Manchester United team.
AMR- Juan Mata
Mkhitaryan still projects to be the starter at this position at some point, but he is dealing with an injury that could keep him out of this match against Manchester City. For now, Mata will continue to start and he is more than capable of filling this role.
ST- Zlatan Ibrahimovic
Zlatan has scored 3 goals in 3 games so far this season, and he looks like he could be a real force up top for Manchester United. Zlatan lives for big moments, so there is a good chance he does something special in the derby on Saturday.
The statues of Fellaini, Shaw, and Valencia are still somewhat up in the air, but ideally all three will be in the lineup on Saturday against Manchester City.
Reports indicate that Fellaini and Shaw appear to be healthy, but there is always a chance that Mourinho could sit them out (as well as Valencia) for precautionary reasons.
(4-2-3-1)
Via – Lineup Builder
