It might be the dawn of a new era but some things never change and Manchester United once again have several injury concerns on their hands ahead of facing Liverpool.
Erik ten Hag will take charge of United for the first time in Thailand on Tuesday as the pre-season schedule kicks off against the club's old enemies. But the Dutchman may not have a full complement of players at his disposal for the game.
United are already depleted as Cristiano Ronaldo didn't make the trip due to a family issue and there are further concerns in the squad as Raphael Varane, Scott McTominay, James Garner and Axel Tuanzebe all missed Monday's open training session at the Rajamangala National Stadium in Bangkok. Harry Maguire also trained alone after picking up a knock that isn't thought to be serious but makes him a doubt for the match.
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As a result, United could be severely light at centre-back when they face Liverpool with Victor Lindelof and Eric Bailly potentially the only fit centre-backs available. Should Ten Hag opt for a 4-3-3 formation as expected, then those two will likely start in the heart of defence in front of David de Gea.
In contrast, Ten Hag has plenty of options at full-back. It's unclear as of yet if the manager will be naming as strong a side as possible in his first match or if he will experiment with youngsters, but it may be better to get the senior stars as many minutes as possible at the moment and seeing what his 'strongest' side can do. With that in mind, Diogo Dalot and Luke Shaw may get the starting berths on the flanks.
Due to injuries and this summer's departures, United may only have three senior midfielders available to start on Tuesday so we could see a trio of Bruno Fernandes, Fred and Donny van de Beek line up in the middle of the park. The latter will especially be hoping to impress after being handed a United lifeline with the arrival of his former manager at Ajax.
Though United don't have a natural striker in the touring party, they do have some exciting attacking options, even if Alejandro Garnacho doesn't get a chance from the off. Rashford is the most obvious candidate to be tasked with leading the line, though Anthony Martial may well get an opportunity to do so. Jadon Sancho and Anthony Elanga could man the flanks.
Predicted Man United starting XI vs Liverpool: De Gea; Dalot, Lindelof, Bailly, Shaw; Fernandes, Fred, Van de Beek; Elanga, Rashford, Sancho.
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