Potential Manchester United XI vs Crystal Palace
After draws with CSKA Moscow and Manchester City, Manchester United were dismally knocked out of the Capital One Cup on Wednesday night after a penalty shoot-out defeat to Championship side Middlesbrough.
Now they must travel to South London to take on Alan Pardew’s high-flying Crystal Palace, who will be intent on taking another big scalp at Selhurst Park.
Louis van Gaal described his players as being in ‘the red zone’ after their recent outings and he made nine changes to the team for the game against Middlesbrough, with just Chris Smalling and Marcos Rojo retaining their places in the team.
Sergio Romero got the nod against Middlesbrough and kept another clean sheet, meaning he’s conceded just twice since moving to the club in the summer. Despite that, he’s firmly the No.2 goalkeeper at the club and David De Gea will undoubtedly get recalled to the side for Saturday’s game.
In defence, Matteo Darmian had another game where he didn’t stand out but was solid. The Italian has had some shaky moments since his arrival in the summer but overall has always looked like a solid, 7/10 player and that was the case once again during the cup tie. With Antonio Valencia pushing him hard for the right back spot, he may get another chance with the Ecuadorian still struggling with injury.
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Chris Smalling partnered Daley Blind at centre-back during the cup tie and Phil Jones during the draws in Moscow and against Man City. He’s been the ever-present in a Manchester United team who’s defensive record has been far better than the media and reaction from fans would have you believe. With Marcos Rojo coming in at left-back, United have looked solid still but he’s been targeted regularly and struggled.
With the manager seemingly ready to pull the trigger and rig the changes in the Premier League, Daley Blind could shift over to left-back with Smalling once again partnering Phil Jones in the centre.
In midfield, all of Bastian Schweinsteiger, Morgan Schneiderlin and Ander Herrera were rested as United crashed out on penalties. The trio have become a mainstay in the spine of the Red Devils’ team in recent weeks and have been key in their attacking play and defensive strength. All three will surely return to the side, replacing Fellaini, Carrick and Memphis.
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Juan Mata is all but certain to come back in on the right flank, despite Jesse Lingard’s good displays in recent games. The England U21 international hit the bar against Manchester City late on and did the same against Middlesbrough but despite his eye catching performances, his end product has struggled and Mata’s quality will no doubt lead to him getting the nod once again.
On the left wing, Ashley Young made his return from injury as a substitute and ended up playing an hour as the game entered extra-time. The England man was direct, quick and alert as he played the game at left-back but was often found high up the pitch as United pushed for a winning goal. It’s possible that he could come into the side on the wing, although it’s possible that the extra, unplanned minutes may have come too soon and I would expect him to start on the bench once again.
With that said, there is a chance Anthony Martial could continue on the left. However, my gut instinct – and hope – is that he will get the nod in the central striking position as Louis van Gaal finally loses patience with an under performing Wayne Rooney. The captain has struggled immensely in recent weeks and calls for him to be dropped have peaked following his displays in the last week. With the French teenager still shining in any role he’s given, his move central opens up the left wing spot for someone to take their chance.
Memphis’ display in midweek will have done nothing to boost his poor confidence and he’ll likely return to the bench again, leaving Jesse Lingard and Andreas Pereira. The England man has been selected for the right more often and while the Brazilian playmaker is usually regarded as a central player, his ability on the ball could see him deployed in that position and given his first start in the Premier League.
