Erik ten Hag earned some much-needed respite as Manchester United claimed their first win in three at Burnley on Saturday night.
The pressure has ramped up on the Dutchman at the start of 2023/24, with United faltering in their opening fixtures after a positive 2022/23 campaign which included a Carabao Cup triumph.
The Red Devils begin their cup defence on Tuesday night against Premier League rivals Crystal Palace, who staged an impressive turnaround in the second round at Plymouth to set-up this third round affair at Old Trafford.
Here’s the lineup Ten Hag could pick for United’s upcoming Carabao Cup tie.
GK: Andre Onana – The Cameroonian notched his first clean sheet since the opening weekend of the season on Saturday. A lack of reliable alternatives means he should continue between the sticks on Tuesday.
RB: Diogo Dalot – Aaron Wan-Bissaka’s injury means Ten Hag will be relying on Dalot to excel at right-back for the next couple of months.
CB: Raphael Varane – United supporters welcomed Varane back at Turf Moor after a few weeks out. His return is a timely one and Ten Hag could give him another run out against Palace.
CB: Victor Lindelof – Injuries to Lisandro Martinez and Harry Maguire means it could be a toss-up between Lindelof and Jonny Evans for the other centre-back spot.
LB: Sergio Reguilon – The unwanted Spurs left-back has enjoyed a pretty excellent start to his Man Utd career.
CM: Sofyan Amrabat – The newbie made his Premier League debut off the bench at the weekend after recovering from a minor knock. It seems obvious that Amrabat will make his first United start in the cup on Tuesday.
CM: Christian Eriksen – After starting in Munich last Wednesday, Eriksen was an unused sub at Turf Moor. That should mean he starts United’s upcoming cup tie.
RM: Facundo Pellestri – Tasked with shunning Alphonso Davies on his previous outing, young Pellestri’s task won’t be quite as challenging against the Eagles.
AM: Bruno Fernandes – While Ten Hag will undoubtedly rotate his side, he could retain Saturday’s match-winner in the XI. United’s leading producer will spearhead the Red Devils on Tuesday.
LM: Alejandro Garnacho – The spritely winger is a strong contender to start in midweek after failing to get off the bench on Saturday. Marcus Rashford’s car accident post-Burnley means it’s unlikely he’ll be involved.
ST: Rasmus Hojlund – The young striker scored his first United goal at Bayern last week, and while he’s a crucial figure in Ten Hag’s project, it’s crucial that he gets up to speed swiftly and so more minutes is what he needs at this stage.
Read More: World News | Entertainment News | Celeb News
90Mins
