Manchester United could field a starting XI of players who are out or potentially unavailable for Thursday’s Europa League clash with Sevilla.
Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez are sidelined with Alejandro Garnacho unavailable. Luke Shaw has not played the last three matches while Marcus Rashford still might not be back from his muscle injury. Tyrell Malacia, Scott McTominay and Marcel Sabitzer are all doubts with Donny van de Beek, like Martinez, out for the season.
It means Erik ten Hag is having to run a tight ship until they return. It could be argued that most of the starting XI picks itself by availability default.
READ MORE: Injury update on Marcel Sabitzer
Ten Hag said at the start of the season he would need to use all of his squad and he is being proved right. Three of the back four due to face Sevilla hardly featured in his plans before the new year, with many if not all of them potentially facing a summer exit.
Aaron Wan-Bissaka is now a serious challenger for Diogo Dalot at right-back, while Victor Lindelof and club captain Harry Maguire will line up in the centre of defence ahead of David de Gea. Back in November, when Dalot missed his first United game of the season due to suspension, Malacia came in to play right-back against Fulham.
And in a reversal, Dalot played at left-back against Nottingham Forest in Sunday’s 2-0 win amid Malacia’s absence - and went on to score his first Premier League goal. He played very well and could start there again if both Shaw and Malacia are not deemed fit to start.
In attack, the front three of Antony - who scored and assisted against Forest - Anthony Martial and Jadon Sancho look set to start again.
The main blow for United comes in midfield with Bruno Fernandes suspended after picking up a harsh yellow card in the first leg. It means there will be some rotation in midfield.
If Scott McTominay and Marcel Sabitzer are unavailable then Christian Eriksen could occupy Fernandes’ usual attacking midfield role having started his first game since injury against Forest after Sabitzer sustained his problem in the warm-up.
Fred may well come into the frame given the potential central absences and it would be a case of where Ten Hag decides to play him. If Eriksen does take up the attacking role, the Fred would partner Casemiro.
Possible XI: De Gea; Wan-Bissaka, Maguire, Lindelof, Dalot; Casemiro, Fred, Eriksen; Antony, Martial, Sancho.
It seems this may be the likely path given Eriksen’s past career history in the attacking role and that he has played there more times (twice) in the position than Fred (once) since Christmas.
However, Ten Hag may look at Eriksen’s stats from his now-traditional deeper central midfield role and opt to keep him there amid his nine assists this season. And so instead, a midfield three without an attacking midfielder may be deployed.
Possible XI: De Gea; Wan-Bissaka, Maguire, Lindelof, Dalot; Eriksen, Casemiro, Fred; Antony, Martial, Sancho.
There is another alternative that would prove unpopular with many United fans. Wout Weghorst played as the number 10 in the 2-2 draw with Barcelona at the Nou Camp earlier in the Europa League.
He did soundly, which was not the case when he took up the role in the second leg. He is yet to play on the pitch at the same time as Martial having always been subbed off or on for the Frenchman.
Their chemistry is untested - maybe it should remain that way. But Ten Hag is not one to cower from throwing curve balls when needed so it’s not an impossibility.
Possible XI: De Gea; Wan-Bissaka, Maguire, Lindelof, Dalot; Casemiro, Eriksen, Weghorst; Antony, Martial, Sancho.
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