А struggling Manchester United will try to keep Top four hopes alive against Chelsea. The Red Devils lost two away derbies in the previous rounds versus Liverpool and Arsenal. Now, Ralf Rangnick’s team will try to get a win in front of their own fans at Old Trafford. Manchester United are six points behind the fourth-placed Arsenal, who also have a game in hand. That means Thursday’s clash against Chelsea is a must-win for United if they want to fight for Champions League qualification until the end. Here is our Manchester United predicted lineup.
Manchester United Predicted Lineup for a Tough Clash Versus Chelsea
How Manchester United Have Lined-up Recently
Ralf Rangnick has opted to bet on the classic 4-2-3-1 in a majority of United’s previous fixtures.
Harry Maguire was probably the only constant in the defence before the previous round when he was dropped against Arsenal. Raphael Varane, Victor Lindelof, and even Phil Jones were rotated next to him. However, none of these partnerships seemed to work. After Luke Shaw’s injury, Alex Telles started seven of United’s last eight games on the left. On the other side of the defence, Diogo Dalot has been preferred over Aaron Wan-Bissaka.
In front of the defence, Fred and Nemanja Matic are supposed to provide the stability and start the attacks. However, the results clearly show that the midfield is also not working properly. Therefore, Scott McTominay and the already injured Paul Pogba often had to step up into these positions.
Bruno Fernandes is crucial for this formation, as he is expected to provide the pass that should break the opponent’s defence. In front of him, two of Anthony Elanga, Jadon Sancho and Marcus Rashford are occupying the wings while Cristiano Ronaldo is doing what he does best in front of the goal.
Manchester United Injury Worries for Consideration
Rangnick has received more bad news from their latest training session. Two new injuries are added to the already long list. Maguire and Sancho will miss the game against Chelsea. The defender picked up a knee injury, while the winger has tonsillitis. Wan-Bissaka will also be in doubt until the last minute.
Paul Pogba probably already played his last match in a Manchester United shirt. The French midfielder has been substituted with a calf injury early in the Liverpool clash and will probably not be fit before the end of the season. After that, he will leave on a free transfer with European giants already planning to open talks with his agent.
Shaw and Edinson Cavani will also miss the game, still recovering from their respective injuries. Another blow for Rangnick in the midfield will be the absence of Fred. The Brazilian international is struggling with a hip injury and, despite returning to training, is unlikely to feature.
Manchester United Predicted Lineup
In defence, it looks like Rangnick doesn’t have many options due to the injuries of Maguire, Shaw and Wan-Bissaka. Therefore, the manager will have to use the same back four that conceded three goals at Emirates.
In front of the back four, McTominay should operate with Matic, considering Fred’s absence. Bruno Fernandes is obviously not in his best form but remains the favourite over Jesse Lingard and Juan Mata. Elanga and Rashford should start on the wings with Cristiano Ronaldo as the central forward.
David de Gea, Diogo Dalot, Raphael Varane, Victor Lindelof, Alex Telles, Scott McTominay, Nemanja Matic, Anthony Elanga, Bruno Fernandes, Rashford, Cristiano Ronaldo.
Main Photo
