Manchester United travel to the Vitality Stadium to face Bournemouth on Saturday evening, hoping to return back to winning ways in the Premier League.
Erik ten Hag’s side have been inconsistent all season and their unpredictable nature has proved a concern since the March international break. Late draws with Brentford and Liverpool, sandwiched by a gut-wrenching stoppage-time away defeat to Chelsea, have seen them cut adrift in the race for top four.
A point against Liverpool at Old Trafford last weekend was a good result considering where both teams are in the table at the moment. It should spur the Red Devils to arrest a three-game winless run in the league by beating Bournemouth, who pulled off a 3-0 shock win at Old Trafford back in December.
Manchester United Team News
Raphael Varane and Jonny Evans have been ruled out until May with muscle injuries, with the experienced defensive duo joining Lisandro Martinez, Victor Lindelof, Luke Shaw, Tyrell Malacia and Anthony Martial on the sidelines.
Marcus Rashford trained on Thursday and may be fit in time to feature at Bournemouth despite limping off against Liverpool, but the game has come too soon for Scott McTominay, Erik ten Hag confirmed in his pre-match press conference.
Predicted Manchester United lineup vs Bournemouth (4-2-3-1)
Goalkeeper
Andre Onana made some top saves against Liverpool last weekend, keeping Manchester United in the game. After a very poor start to life at Old Trafford, the Cameroonian seems to have settled down. He will be aiming to keep a clean sheet on the south coast.
Defence
Man United do have a glut of injuries in defence, leaving Ten Hag with limited options to select from. Young Willy Kambwala is certain to get another start after impressing against Liverpool, partnering Harry Maguire in central defence.
With Luke Shaw and Tyrell Malacia sidelined, Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Diogo Dalot are expected to take up the left-back and right-back spots, respectively. The patched-up Man United backline must show great resilience and character if they are to keep a clean sheet against an in-form Bournemouth side.
Midfield
Mason Mount will be pushing to start after making cameo appearances in the last three games, but Ten Hag is likely to stick with Kobbie Mainoo and Casemiro in the middle of the park. The task of Casemiro and Mainoo should be to bring some semblance of control to the visitors while breaking up the opposition’s attacks.
Despite blowing hot and cold throughout the campaign, skipper Bruno Fernandes is still the Red Devils’ biggest creative outlet. The Portuguese, who has netted twice in the last three games, will be hoping to make a difference in the final third.
Christian Eriksen, Sofyan Amrabat and Mount should be vying to make an impact off the bench.
Attack
With Marcus Rashford only likely to be fit for a role on the bench, Ten Hag should turn to Antony out wide. The Brazilian will aim to bring dynamism and creative spark from the right, with Alejandro Garnacho switching to the opposite flank.
Rasmus Hojlund should continue up front, desperate to end his mini barren run in front of goal. Amad Diallo and Omari Forson may get some minutes off the bench.
I am Rohan Sengupta from one of the busiest cities in India, Mumbai. A Journalism graduate with a keen interest in sports, football is something I simply cannot live without and writing, discussing and analyzing the game is what I do 24*7.
