Rúben Amorim is predicted to make eight changes as Manchester United line up to face Athletic Club in the second leg of the Europa League semi-finals.
Manchester United welcome Athletic Club to Old Trafford for the second leg of their Europa League semi-final, holding a 3-0 lead from the first leg.
Casemiro opened the scoring in Bilbao before Bruno Fernandes added two more to give Rúben Amorim’s side a strong advantage heading into the return fixture.
In the other semi-final, Tottenham Hotspur lead FK Bodø/Glimt 3-1 on aggregate but face a difficult away leg in Norway as they look to secure their place in the final in Bilbao.
With United and Spurs currently 15th and 16th in the Premier League, the Europa League is their only remaining route into next season’s Champions League.
Amorim to make eight changes vs Athletic Club
United’s last fixture, the 4-3 defeat against Brentford in West London, was a game very much in the back of United fans’ minds due to the magnitude of the upcoming semi-final tie.
While Altay Bayındır started in goal on the weekend, André Onana is expected to regain his place in the side, with Luke Shaw the only centre-back set to continue in the team after he played 45 minutes.
With Shaw likely to start on the left, it is thought that both Harry Maguire and Leny Yoro will return in the middle and on the right respectively, with the pair Amorim’s clear first-choice for the positions.
With Diogo Dalot out and Shaw in defence, United’s only available realistic wing-backs are Patrick Chinazaekpere Dorgu and Noussair Mazraoui, who will likely start on the left and right flanks respectively.
While there is also a chance that Amad could start as a wing-back, amid Athletic Club’s need for goals in the second leg to overturn their deficit, Amorim may feel safer playing defensive-minded Mazraoui on the right.
Manuel Ugarte played the full 90 minutes against Brentford while Casemiro remained an unused substitute, signifying that the Brazilian international may be the man who replaces his South American teammate on Thursday evening.
There is debate surrounding where Fernandes may start. Considering that Amorim set his may side up to defend and play on the counter amid Athletic Club’s thirst for goals, the club captain could be utilised deeper to collect the ball and start counter-attacks.
With Fernandes playing alongside Casemiro, Amorim will want to see runners across his front three, and Alejandro Garnacho’s presence in the pre-match press conference hints that the player will start once again, which would be his 14th start in a row across all competitions.
As Mazroaui may be at wing-back, Amad may return to the starting team in the right forward position, with Rasmus Højlund returning to the XI and starting up front.
United predicted XI vs Athletic Club
Onana, Yoro, Maguire, Shaw, Mazraoui, Casemiro, Fernandes, Dorgu, Amad, Højlund, Garnacho.
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