In light of the injury news during today’s pre-match press conference, the Manchester United squad will have several changes to it going into the match against Chelsea.
As reported, Carrick, Blind, Jones, and Rojo are all set to miss the match due to injuries suffered in the Derby and earlier in the week. The absences will obviously mean a new central defensive pairing, Shaw most likely returning to left-back, and a new-look midfield. Wayne Rooney may need to drop to a deeper role, opening up the striker position for three potential replacements: Marouane Fellaini, Radamel Falcao, and Robin van Persie. With that in mind, each option comes with notable pros and cons.
More from Red Devil Armada
- Aaron Wan Bissaka out for ‘several weeks’ with injury
- Manchester United break an unwanted record after Brighton loss
- Sofyan Amrabat set to miss game against Brighton
- Preview: Manchester United vs Brighton – What you need to know
- Jadon Sancho set to train away from first team squad
Marouane Fellaini:
Pros: First and foremost, the Belgian has been in exceptional form lately, most recently scoring United’s second goal in the Derby. As Louis van Gaal said earlier in the Red Devil’s six match win streak, Fellaini is undroppable in most cases. He’s arguably the biggest aerial threat in the Premier League at the moment but now also seems to have added a finishing ability to his skill set. With the big man up top, United will have an immediate target to look to when trying to break pressure.
More from Manchester United News
- Aaron Wan Bissaka out for ‘several weeks’ with injury
- Sofyan Amrabat set to miss game against Brighton
- Preview: Manchester United vs Brighton – What you need to know
- Jadon Sancho set to train away from first team squad
- Mike Phelan blasts Manchester United teammates over Ronaldo exit
Cons: Fellaini is known to have a pretty decent temper. A sending off against Chelsea would seriously hinder United’s chances of securing any points from the away trip to Stamford Bridge. Along with that, Fellaini’s abilities may not line up very well for this game specifically. Chelsea will likely come out with a defensive mindset and look to counter, which means the striker will play a key part in creating chances and holding possession for the Reds. Fellaini isn’t suited to playing a distributive role, despite how much he’s improved his passing and touch this year, as he’s more of an attacking midfield target.
Radamel Falcao:
Pros: Quite frankly, I’m actually struggling to find a reason why Falcao should come back into the squad and play. Historically, the Colombian has been a clinical finisher, but this season we haven’t seen his ability as a goal poacher. There was the glimpse of his former self back in the match against Sunderland when he won a PK with a deft touch. Starting him could mean potentially seeing the best of his old form, but that’s a pretty slim possibility at this point.
Cons: The on-loan striker will not be here at the end of the season, so there really is no reason to give him a chance to prove himself. He’s been uncharacteristically poor this season with bad touches, horrific finishes, and questionable positioning. As I said with Fellaini, the striker this match will need to be heavily involved in the possession to give United a chance. I don’t think Falcao would be able to keep the passing moving swiftly from side to side to create openings.
Robin van Persie:
Pros: When in form, the Dutchman has the ability to hold on to the ball and play key passes to his teammates, as well as lethal finishing. Earlier in the season, he rescued a point for United against the Blues at Old Trafford by scoring a late equalizer. Of van Gaal’s choices for the match, I believe van Persie has the greatest chance of stepping into the squad and making an immediate impact. There’s rumors surfacing that he could be set to leave the club at the end of the season, so he would love the chance to prove himself again.
Cons: The striker himself has been dealing with an injury for some time now. Ahead of the Manchester Derby he declared himself fit but was overruled by van Gaal for not being ready. It’s hard to know if he’ll be 100% fit for the match, where anything less than top fitness could present issues for United. Before the injury, he was also struggling compared to the form he showed in previous seasons. His age could be a factor in his diminishing abilities.
Verdict: Give Robin van Persie the nod and see what he can do. We already know what Fellaini can do, and I’d rather see him stay in the midfield. Falcao shouldn’t be anywhere near the team sheet unless he’s going to be used as a late addition.
Of course, there’s the potential for van Gaal to change the formation around to better address the injuries. He could potentially revert to a 3-5-2, though I don’t see that happening as McNair and Blackett would most likely have to both start in central defense. He could also go with a 4-3-3, with Herrera, Fellaini, and Mata in the midfield and Young and di Maria on the wings. That would allow Rooney to stay up top but would also hurt the squad’s defensive balance.
Whatever the manager decides to go with, the outlook has gotten bleaker going into the match against the league leaders.