Manchester United will resume their Premier League duties on Saturday with a home fixture against Crystal Palace. The Red Devils enjoyed a comfortable 4-1 over CSKA Moscow in the midweek Champions League game, and Jose Mourinho will expect a similar performance versus the Eagles, who are bottom of the standings.
Formation: 4-2-3-1
Lineup:
Spanish goalkeeper David de Gea has been ever-present in the Premier League this term, and he is assured of his place between the sticks. Antonio Valencia is likely to captain United once more from the right-back spot with Ashley Young likely to shift to the opposite direction. Phil Jones was left out of United’s trip to Moscow due to his minor ankle problem, but he could make the starting lineup alongside Eric Bailly for the seventh game on the trot.
The midfield positions are literally fixed with Nemanja Matic and Ander Herrera taking up their places. Paul Pogba (hamstring) and Michael Carrick (unknown) are ruled out for the Eagles clash while Marouane Fellaini could also miss out following a heavy challenge on his left ankle by Southampton’s Shane Long – which has not gone well with Mourinho.
Henrikh Mkhitaryan played just over an hour in the victory over CSKA, and he is likely to take up his regular position behind the main striker. Juan Mata was an unused substitute in the same fixture, and he will be fresh to start on the right side of the attack. Mourinho has a tough choice to make between Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial on the left, but he could go with the latter, should he be fit enough.
Martial bagged two assists and a goal in a stellar performance against CSKA in midweek, but he appeared to carry a knock prior to his second-half substitution. Romelu Lukaku scored a brace in midweek, and he has now taken his goal tally to double figures (10) after just nine appearances. He is an undoubtful starter up front.