Manchester United will face off with Manchester City in the League Cup on Wednesday, with the winner advancing to the quarterfinals. Jose Mourinho’s side will be looking to bounce back from a dreadful 4-0 defeat against Chelsea over the weekend.
Here’s a look at how Manchester United could line up.
GK- Sergio Romero
The League Cup is often an opportunity for manager’s to play their backup goalkeepers, and I think Mourinho will decide to give Romero a look for this match.
LB- Luke Shaw
Manchester United’s defense was atrocious on Sunday, so there is every reason for Jose Mourinho to switch things up, and put Shaw pack in the lineup.
CB- Marcos Rojo and Eric Bailly
Blind and Smalling were very poor against Chelsea over the weekend, so a major shake up to the back line could be in order. Bailly wasn’t great against Chelsea either, but he has been solid all year and could get the nod to start again on Wednesday. Rojo came on as a sub in the Chelsea game, so he may be next in line for playing time if Mourinho does indeed decide to change things up.
RB- Antonio Valencia
Valencia was probably the best defender on the field for Manchester United on Sunday, and he has had a strong season thus far. He could be rotated out in order to get him some rest, but I think Mourinho will want to put out a strong lineup in an attempt to avenge the team’s loss from over the weekend.
CM- Paul Pogba and Ander Herrera
Pogba and Herrera were both the subject of criticism from Gary Neville after their performances against Chelsea, but this is still most likely Mourinho’s best duo for the central midfield. Both of them have had reasonably good seasons so far, despite poor performances on Sunday.
AML- Anthony Martial
I still believe that Martial is the best option for Manchester United at this position, but Mourinho needs to give him a consistent run of games. Due to injuries and poor form, Martial has only played over 60 minutes two times since the start of September. Once Martial gets a consistent run of games, he should be able to start performing better.
AMC- Juan Mata
Mata has been most effective this season when he is used as a central attacking midfielder, and he provides Manchester United with a much needed offensive contribution. Manchester United could use some help offensively since they have not scored in their last two games against English opponents.
AMR- Henrikh Mkhitaryan
Mkhitaryan has not featured for Manchester United in over a month, but he is reportedly now recovered from a thigh injury that was troubling him. Mkhitaryan was one of the best players in the Bundesliga last season, so he certainly deserves the opportunity to prove himself to Jose Mourinho.
ST- Marcus Rashford
Zlatan has been in a goal scoring drought recently, and with only two days off between matches, he could likely use the rest anyway. Rashford has not had too many opportunities to play his natural position of striker, but hopefully this game will be an opportunity for him to start up top.
(4-2-3-1)
Via – Lineup Builder
