Potential Manchester United XI vs West Ham

Manchester United prepare to take on East London high-flyers West Ham United on Sunday afternoon with the sole aim to cement their third place position in the Premier League yet again.

Louis Van Gaal’s men moved up one place last weekend after their win over Leicester was followed by Southampton’s 1-0 defeat to Swansea the following day. With United just five points off second placed Manchester City, but just seven points ahead of our eighth placed opponents West Ham, Manchester United’s manager knows there is little room for error as we get to the business end of the season.

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After his decision not to dip into the transfer market during the January window, Van Gaal now must play the hand he was dealt when he took over the helm at Old Trafford, regardless of any injuries his team could pick up along the way.

One man who has avoided serious injury this season is goalkeeper David De Gea. The Spaniard has started every game under the Dutch coach, even since the signing of ex-Barcelona man Victor Valdes. He will continue in goal at the Boleyn Ground as Manchester United look for a third consecutive win in the Premier League.

Rafael returned to action during the week with a 90 minute performance for the Under 21’s against Fulham. With Antonio Valencia rested against Cambridge on Tuesday night, he’s expected to start. Fans however, have been calling for another man to start at right-back. Paddy McNair put in a Man of the Match performance against Cambridge from right-back and showed a new side to his game that nobody had seen yet. Any of the three can start and should do well, but I think Valencia is Van Gaal’s preferred choice and I expect him to start.

Luke Shaw missed the game against Cambridge, with rumours circulating that he was injured once again. The full-back however rubbished those claims on Twitter and is expected to return to the starting line-up once again on Sunday.

Marcos Rojo has been the shining light in a rocky central defensive department this season and will continue to start, but his partner is undecided. Chris Smalling has formed a good partnership with the Argentine in previous games and could be the man, but my choice would be Phil Jones. The 22 year-old is the defender with the biggest future ahead of him out of the senior centre-backs and he deserves the role. He’s performed well this season when selected and I believe that he and Rojo could form an excellent partnership.

Daley Blind will continue in his favoured midfield role after another good performance midweek. The former Ajax captain has cemented his role in the side, with a little help from Michael Carrick’s injury. His composure on the ball, positioning off it and intelligence make him a sure-fire starter for Louis Van Gaal. His partner in central midfield is hard to decide upon though.

Ander Herrera is the most naturally gifted natural central midfielder in the squad by some distance. However, he can’t get in the team. Three goals and four assists in seven starts for Manchester United haven’t convinced Van Gaal to make the Spaniard a starter and he will likely start on the bench once again. Marouane Fellaini will likely be picked ahead of him yet again, with the Belgian’s physical presence key to stopping West Ham’s new found style under Sam Allardyce.

Wayne Rooney’s new role in central midfield is something that Van Gaal seems keen on. While his greatest performances this season have come from the striker position, his passing range and stamina have been key elements to his transition to a deep lying midfielder. That will be key if United are to stop the forward runs of Diafra Sakho, Stewart Downing and Enner Valencia and Rooney will be tasked with helping the side keep a clean sheet as much as he will score goals.

The No.10 position is reserved for Juan Mata at Old Trafford but away from home Van Gaal has tested plenty of different players. This weekend, I feel he’ll opt for Argentine superstar Angel Di Maria. The No.7’s pace, directness and skill will be a huge factor playing away from home as he can provide a big outlet for the Red Devils. By playing Di Maria and Rooney in these positions, it offers flexibility and a plan B, something Van Gaal is a big fan of.

With the strikers all seemingly in good form currently, Van Gaal could be tempted to start with young James Wilson. The young striker grabbed his second goal of the season during the midweek game against Cambridge, while the boss revealed after Tuesday’s game that he substituted van Persie as he wants to play him against the Hammers. That leaves the final spot for Falcao and Wilson to battle over, with the Colombian the more likely to come away with selection.

Credit: sharemytactics.com

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