Manchester United Potential XI vs Sunderland

The Red Devils are in desperate need of three points at Sunderland

Manchester United will travel to the Stadium of Light to face Sunderland in a winnable match with a crucial three points on the line.

The Reds looked certain to capture the victory against Chelsea last weekend but, through a late Diego Costa equalizer, the Blues were able to salvage a point at United’s expense. Louis van Gaal didn’t make any changes to the squad that had previously dismantled Stoke 3-0. In truth, the team performed well against Chelsea, controlling the flow and registering plenty of chances, but it wasn’t enough.

As such, with the match against Sunderland a key opportunity to maintain or narrow the gap to the top four, the manager will have to make the decision of whether or not to send out the same staring eleven.

As the last line of defense, David de Gea will start in goal for Manchester United. His position is never in doubt, with his name likely to be the first on the team sheet week in and week out.

In front of the Spaniard, the same back four should trot out to start the match. At left-back, Cameron Borthwick-Jackson will, deservedly, get the nod again in his breakthrough season. The Manchester native has been exceptional despite his youth and inexperience at top level competition. He’s been dangerous going forward on the wing, providing an assist to Jesse Lingard in the win over Stoke.

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On the opposite flank, Matteo Darmian will be looking to continue his renaissance in form. For a significant portion of the season, the Italian full-back had fallen out of favor through poor displays and nagging injuries. In the last couple of matches, however, he’s been bright – his return to form directly corresponding to Manchester United’s return to form as a whole. To further solidify his involvement, Guillermo Varela – Darmian’s direct backup – picked up a knock in the reserves match earlier this week.

At the heart of defense, Daley Blind and Chris Smalling can anticipate a continuance of their partnership. Phil Jones recently returned to training and featured in the under-21s’ match against Norwich after dealing with a lengthy injury absence. But, given the current duo of Blind and Smalling controlling the back line, it would take a stroke of insanity for van Gaal to swap either in favor of Jones.

‘Mike’ Smalling has made exponential improvements from a few seasons ago, making him one of the best defenders in the Premier League today, while Blind has performed spectacularly as a makeshift defender.

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Michael Carrick, despite growing rumors of a departure in the upcoming summer transfer window, is a certainty to start in the midfield. His importance to the team cannot be understated, though he rarely appears on the scorer’s sheet. With him, Belgian big-man Marouane Fellaini is in line to start again. Morgan Schneiderlin, for some reason or another, has fallen out of favor under the manager. Instead, Fellaini has consistently forced his way into the team, causing headaches to Manchester United supporters worldwide.

The attacking midfield trio will also likely remain unchanged, as Jesse Lingard, Juan Mata, and Anthony Martial have been gaining momentum as a unit. The French left-winger has performed exceptionally well for much of the season, and with Mata and Lingard now settling into improved form as well, the three of them are the best combination to support the striker. In particular, the 23-year-old Englishman has responded to criticism of his inabilities in the final third. Furthermore, potential challenger Adnan Januzaj suffered an injury for the reserves against Norwich.

To round out the team, captain Wayne Rooney will start at striker. Even during his poor spell earlier in the season, the Dutch manager maintained his faith in the experienced attacker. With the return to prominence – seven goals and three assists in the last eight matches – there’s no doubt he’ll lead the attack against the Black Cats.

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With the unchanged team, supporters will be hoping for consistency above all else – the attacking play that has been present recently and the defensive strength that has been present most of the season.

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