Manchester United journey to the capital to face Brentford within the Premier League on Saturday afternoon.
Following within the footsteps of his compatriot Louis van Gaal, Erik ten Hag misplaced his maiden Premier League match at Outdated Trafford. Van Gaal managed solely a draw in opposition to Sunderland the next weekend however no Manchester United group has begun the season with consecutive defeats since 1992.
This is the XI Ten Hag could deploy to keep away from the membership’s worst begin in three a long time.
A “half-fit” Cristiano Ronaldo needs to be beginning for Manchester United. True? 🤨
— 90min (@90min_Football) August 10, 2022
GK: David de Gea – The one clear sheet in De Gea’s final 13 appearances for Manchester United got here in opposition to Brentford.
RB: Diogo Dalot – Statistically probably the most related participant to the Manchester United fullback is Chelsea’s freshly recruited Marc Cucurella (per StatsBomb), though it is unlikely Dalot would additionally command a £62m switch price.
CB: Harry Maguire – Manchester United’s captain pressured that Brighton’s early objective “knocked us again actually badly” – which seems to be a recurring theme. United have solely received two of the final 19 matches wherein they’ve fallen behind.
CB: Lisandro Martinez – A hardly convincing debut may have been made even worse had Martinez’s blatant shove behind Danny Welbeck been noticed by the referee or any of his assistants (video or in any other case).
LB: Luke Shaw – Again in July, Shaw insisted that Manchester United can have a transparent enjoying construction for the “first time shortly” below Ten Hag. That assertion wasn’t readily obvious through the 2-1 defeat to Brighton final weekend.
CM: Fred – Ten Hag described Fred’s present function throughout the group because the “connector” from defence to assault.
CM: Christian Eriksen – The Dane failed to copy the success Dusan Tadic loved by way of the center below Ten Hag at Ajax and might be shifted additional again for his return to Brentford simply months after leaving the Londoners.
RW: Jadon Sancho – Brentford’s towering – however not technically famend – centre-back Kristoffer Ajer racked up as many assists as Sancho final season (three).
AM: Bruno Fernandes – The one objective Fernandes has scored in his final ten Premier League appearances was the opener in opposition to Brentford in Could.
LW: Marcus Rashford – The Manchester-born ahead discovered the online on his solely earlier go to to Brentford’s bus cease in Hounslow.
ST: Cristiano Ronaldo – Ten Hag admitted post-match that Manchester United had been “higher” within the second half with Ronaldo up entrance. If Anthony Martial stays unavailable with a hamstring criticism, the Dutchman could also be compelled into fielding the wantaway 37-year-old from the primary whistle.
