Manager Erik ten Hag has named his starting line-up for Manchester United's crunch Premier League showdown with Liverpool at Old Trafford this evening, making some huge selection calls.
United, who were beaten 9-0 on aggregate by the Merseysiders last season, will be determined to register their first victory of the campaign after last Saturday's 4-0 drubbing at the hands of Brentford. The Reds found themselves 4-0 down at half-time after producing one of their worst performances in the club's history.
It means that Ten Hag will be desperate to see a much-improved performance and result this evening, as he experiences United's rivalry with Liverpool in a competitive scenario for the first time. The Dutchman has decided to make four changes to the side that was beaten last Saturday.
READ MORE: Manchester United vs Liverpool LIVE
Raphael Varane, Tyrell Malacia, Scott McTominay and Anthony Elanga have come into the side, meaning Harry Maguire, Luke Shaw, Fred and Cristiano Ronaldo have dropped out. Varane, Malacia and Elanga are all making their first starts of the season.
Meanwhile, Alejandro Garnacho and Anthony Martial, who has recovered from a hamstring problem, are among those to have been named on the bench. Centre-back Victor Lindelof, however, remains sidelined through injury.
Having made four changes to his side, Ten Hag will be hoping that it has the desired impact, as he goes in search of his first competitive win as Reds manager. It is Ronaldo's omission from the starting line-up that has attracted the most attention from United's supporters in the immediate aftermath of the team news being confirmed.
Below, MEN Sport has taken a close look at what some of United's supporters have had to say in response to Ten Hag's decision to leave Ronaldo out of his starting XI.
As you can see from the messages displayed in the tweets above, Ten Hag's decision to start Ronaldo on the bench has sparked plenty of debate. The fans are surprised to see Elanga preferred in attack, meaning Marcus Rashford is set to start down the middle.
It is the second home game in a row that Ronaldo has been left out of the starting line-up. He stepped off the bench shortly after half-time on the opening day against Brighton.
United starting line-up: De Gea; Dalot, Varane, Martinez, Malacia; McTominay, Eriksen, Fernandes; Elanga, Rashford, Sancho.
Substitutes: Heaton, Wan-Bissaka, Maguire, Shaw, Fred, Van de Beek, Garnacho, Ronaldo, Martial.
This evening's contest at Old Trafford gets underway at 8:00pm and you can follow all of the action on our live matchday blog, which you can access by clicking here.
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