After the international break, Manchester United face a run of fixtures that will most likely define their season. Tough fixtures against Arsenal, Everton, Tottenham and West Ham beckon, as Jose Mourinho looks to finally stamp his mark in the red side of Manchester. Ahead of the game against the Gunners on 19 November, United have been rocked by news that Marouane Fellaini will miss the game due to injury sustained in the win over Swansea. Zlatan Ibrahimovic will also miss the game due to suspension, after picking up a needless yellow card at the Liberty stadium, which was his fifth booking in the league this season. We run a rule over the expected line up in the match against Arsenal where it is expected they will line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation.
Goalkeeper: This selection is a no-brainer. David de Gea is arguably the best goalkeeper in the league, by a mile and will slot into the galoalkeeper position.
Defence: With the injuries to Shaw, Bailly, Smalling and Valencia, Manchester United will spot a makeshift defence. Darmian has been in good form of late, and will start. Marcos Rojo and Daley Blind will play in the centre back position while the ever-versatile Ashley Young will play at right back. This highlights Man United’s remarkable strength in depth.
Midfield: Ander Herrera is expected to be back after his suspension against Swansea while Mourinho would have been impressed with the way Paul Pogba played alongside Michael Carrick. The world record signing played very well in the game against the Swans and would be high on confidence as Carrick offers a balance to the midfield. In attacking midfield, Jesse Lingard and Juan Mata should start in the wide positions at Old Trafford. Marcus Rashford has looked tired in recent weeks, and would offer an option from the bench. Henrikh Mkhitaryan will miss out once again, as he has not impressed Mourinho since his summer move.
Attack: 11 goals against Arsenal makes Wayne Rooney an automatic pick for this position. The 31 year old legend looked close to his best against Swansea, giving two assists and should be confident of scoring against Arsenal, a team he has found joy playing in the past.
Predicted Lineup: De Gea, Young, Rojo, Blind, Darmian, Herrera, Carrick, Lingard, Pogba, Mata, Rooney.
