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Manchester Evening News
Manchester Evening News
Sport
Richard Fay

Erik ten Hag might need to bend his Manchester United rule vs Leeds

There has been a sense of calm and stability at Manchester United this season, but this weekend that might need to be risked for the trip to face Leeds.

The Yorkshire side made their mark at Old Trafford in midweek by turning the tranquillity into tension and very nearly taking three points off their most fierce rivals with a spirited performance.

Erik ten Hag will be well aware that a better display will be needed by his side when they make the trip to Elland Road this weekend, and his team selection for the tie will be of the utmost importance.

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United must not only field a team with the technical ability to win a competitive derby, but they must also select the right personalities, with Sunday's trip likely to be decided by which side handles the occasion the best.

This dilemma could lead Ten Hag to change his selection rule against Leeds, given that a drastic improvement is needed after their poor performance in midweek.

The United manager has been reluctant to make wholesale changes this season, and has instead cited consistency as a key pillar of their resurgence, with 'routine' at the heart of their transformation.

"I don't complain," he told reporters last month when asked about fixture congestion. "We know what the fixture schedule is; we have to deal with this.

"At clubs we have to set squads and squads are big enough to deal with it and I think players like to play. You can build and construct a good team when you play often and, in my perspective, when you play often the same you are getting the routines in."

Ten Hag's issue is that he might need to make more changes than he typically would for this weekend's match, though his options could well be limited amid an ongoing selection shortage.

Fred struggled in midweek and would be lucky to keep his place on form, but there are not many players who could replace him, with Donny van de Beek, Christian Eriksen and Scott McTominay injured, while Casemiro is suspended.

It could mean that the Brazil international keeps his place in the midfield, given that such a fixture would be a huge risk for Ten Hag to trial a makeshift defensive midfielder like Victor Lindelof, or throw a teenage talent in from the start.

In attack, Alejandro Garnacho struggled in midweek and might be best utilised from the bench in the coming weeks, something that is a lot more likely now that Jadon Sancho has been integrated back into the side and is making an impact in matches.

There is also a critical decision to be made regarding Wout Weghorst in attack after he struggled to make an impression in the first meeting between the two sides.

The Dutch forward has already played more often than many pundits had predicted in his first weeks at the club, but his poor performance in midweek served as a timely reminder that he most probably would not have been signed had United not been so desperate last month.

It provides Ten Hag with a tricky dilemma heading into the weekend, as he balances consistency with the need to freshen things up.

United can't afford to make the same mistakes they made in midweek, and they can't afford to play the same side either.

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