Luke Shaw ought to play in the heart of defence once more for Manchester United to try and nullify the threat Manchester City's Erling Haaland poses.
That's the view of former Arsenal defender Martin Keown. A Manchester derby takes place in the FA Cup final at Wembley this afternoon as United take on City with both bragging rights and a trophy on the line.
United have already won the Carabao Cup and can lift silverware at Wembley for the second time this season if they emerge victorious. Pep Guardiola's side are seeking to complete the Treble and match United's 1999 achievement, having already won the Premier League and also in the final of the Champions League against Inter Milan.
READ MORE: The story of Ten Hag and Guardiola's two years together at Bayern Munich ahead of United vs City
Both sides have beaten one another in the Premier League this season. City beat United 6-3 at the Etihad Stadium in October, but United came from behind at Old Trafford in January to record a 2-1 win.
Writing for the Daily Mail, Keown believes Erik ten Hag may wish to revisit placing left-back Shaw in the heart of defence for the encounter just like he did in the win at Old Trafford. He believes the defender's pace could counter that of Haaland and feels he should partner Raphael Varane.
Keown also feels both Casemiro and Fred should start again, like they did at Old Trafford. And he envisages the likes of Christian Eriksen, Bruno Fernandes, Jadon Sancho and United top scorer Marcus Rashford playing their part to hurt City.
He wrote: "United were taken apart when these sides met at the Etihad in October. Remarkably, Ten Hag chose not to start Casemiro or Fred in that 6-3 defeat. Significantly, both played in United’s 2-1 victory in January.
"Casemiro is one of the best midfielders in world football. He slams the door shut on people with big, explosive tackles and acts as a springboard to attack.
"In that victory over City, Ten Hag also picked his best passers — Christian Eriksen and Bruno Fernandes — to compete with City and, even without Anthony Martial, United have the trickery of Jadon Sancho and pace of Marcus Rashford to hurt their rivals.
"In January, mindful of the pace of Haaland, Ten Hag picked Luke Shaw as a centre-half ahead of Harry Maguire. He may want to add Shaw’s speed in central positions again and reunite him with Raphael Varane, who is a multiple Champions League winner like Casemiro and gives a top-class feel to their spine."
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