Manchester United travel to Villa Park to face Aston Villa in their penultimate English Premier League match before club football makes way for the FIFA World Cup. In a crucial away game, the Red Devils will look to keep up their winning momentum as they vie for the top four places.
Erik ten Hag and his men are fresh off a victory against Real Sociedad. Despite the disappointment of finishing second in their UEFA Europa League group, United delivered a solid performance whilst keeping a clean sheet.
With the recently recruited Unai Emery taking charge of Villa for the first time, he will surely look to dampen the mood back in Manchester and halt some of United’s momentum. Villa sit in 16th place in the league table, level on points with Leeds. Meanwhile, the Reds will look to topple Newcastle United from fourth place as they are one point behind the Eddie Howe-led side as things stand in the table.
The game is crucial for both teams; the Birmingham-based side are sliding perilously close to the relegation places, while United look to be in touching distance of UEFA Champions League football.
Manchester United Predicted Lineup As Red Devils Look to Break Top Four
Ready to get back to work 👊#MUFC pic.twitter.com/yA5kKfdQDJ
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) November 4, 2022
Garnacho Will Start, While Bruno Fernandes Is Unavailable
The Red Devils will be without their star midfielder and stand-in captain Bruno Fernandes for the away trip to Villa. The Portuguese star will miss out on the action after accumulating five yellow cards in the league this season. Donny van de Beek could retain his place in the side despite a lacklustre showing in mid-week.
Meanwhile, sensational youngster Alejandro Garnacho will look to make the most of his positive start to life in the senior squad and could make it to the team once again. The Argentinian picked up lavish praise after his match-winning goal against Sociedad in the Europa League. He could retain his place in the side, especially if Jadon Sancho is still unwell and does not make it to the squad.
The trio of Sancho, Antony, and Anthony Martial all missed out on the trip to Spain. In his latest team news, Ten Hag suggested that he is playing the waiting game when it comes to the availability of the three forwards. In the absence of Martial, Cristiano Ronaldo looks set to retain his place in the side, with Marcus Rashford also returning after getting benched in the Europa League tie.
Read More: Top Midfielder’s Disappointing Player Rating Against Real Sociedad
Harry Maguire could once again start the game on the bench, as Victor Lindelof will most likely accompany Lisandro Martinez in the heart of the defence. However, the Manchester United captain could make a case for himself after getting a clean sheet in the last league game against West Ham United.
Manchester United Predicted Lineup: David De Gea, Victor Lindelof, Lisandro Martinez, Luke Shaw, Diogo Dalot, Casemiro, Christian Eriksen, Donny van de Beek, Alejandro Garnacho, Marcus Rashford, Cristiano Ronaldo (c)
Predicted formation: 4-1-4-1
Aston Villa Team News
Ahead of Unai Emery’s first game in charge of Villa, he will be without first-choice goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez after he suffered a concussion during their game against Newcastle United.
Meanwhile, Diego Carlos could make a return after his three-match ban resulting from a red card was overturned. Boubacar Kamara could also stage a comeback after recovering from an injury. The defensive midfielder could prove to be a vital cog in Emery’s wheel.
It remains to be seen how the two teams will fare in the upcoming match. If the Europa League final against Villareal in 2021, where Emery was the manager of the Spanish side, is anything to go by, this could be a tough challenge for Manchester United.
