Manchester United look to make it three Premier League wins on the bounce when they host Sunderland at Old Traford on Saturday with a host of injuries.
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The Reds have beaten Liverpool and Southampton in their last two Premier League games, with a win at Ipswich in midweek the latest in a string of good results. But without defenders Luke Shaw, Marcos Rojo and Paddy McNair the manager’s options are limited.
In goal David De Gea has regained his role as the undisputed No.1 at the club. After missing the start of the season, he’s come back into the side since signing a new four-year deal with the club and hasn’t missed a minute since.
Defensively, van Gaal has little option about what he can do. Chris Smalling is his only fit central defender and while he’s usually the first name on the team sheet in a defensive capacity his partner usually could be one of two or three. This time however it is certain to be Dutchman Daley Blind. On the right hand side, Matteo Darmian is likely to return to the starting line-up after Antonio Valencia’s start against Ipswich.
On the other side, van Gaal once again has no choice. Winger Ashley Young made strides to regaining the trust of the fans last season by playing and excelling in a left wing-back role but will now have to play in the more traditional role of left-back against Sunderland.
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Bastian Schweinsteiger was partnered by Ander Herrera in the Capital One Cup as the midfield two and despite alternative options Morgan Schneiderlin and Michael Carrick not featuring, I suspect Schweinsteiger may keep his place.
The German captain has been fantastic since signing for Manchester United in the summer and while Carrick remains an integral part of the squad, he may have lost his spot as the No.1 holding midfielder. With Sunderland likely to ‘park the bus’ and counter, playing Herrera alongside him may be counter-productive defensively. For that reason, I expect Schneiderlin to come back into the side to help screen the counter attack with his energy but using his range of passing to keep attacks ticking over and applying pressure to the opposition.
The front four now seems to pick itself too. Juan Mata had a man of the match performance against Ipswich but in the last 12 months he’s really managed to make the right wing spot his own. He’s built a great partnership with Italian defender Matteo Darmian this season and seems to have mastered the art of coming inside with the ball but covering the flank without it.
Memphis’ performances have improved since the arrival of Anthony Martial, although he’s still struggled to make an impact in the Premier League. He needs to start looking to step up a level now and a goal at the weekend could be the perfect stage for him to do that.
Wayne Rooney’s form has been the big talking point of the season so far but his goal against Ipswich has surely bought him a bit more time once again. Many have called for the captain to be dropped, with Marouane Fellaini and now Andreas Pereira have begun to breathe down his neck for that No.10 role and he needs to start performing.
Anthony Martial though, is undroppable at the moment. The French teenager has four goals in four games and could become the first Manchester United player since 1972 to score in each of his first three league games for the club when he starts as the lone striker. United’s new No.9 has impressed enough to move Wayne Rooney out of his striker role and with expectations so high, Martial seems to be embracing the challenge rather than shying away from it.
