Rúben Amorim could reintroduce Lisandro Martínez to his starting XI as Manchester United face Aston Villa on Sunday afternoon.
Manchester United will be looking to continue their solid away form when they travel to Aston Villa on Sunday afternoon, in a match that could prove pivotal in the Premier League title race.
Rúben Amorim’s side have struggled to hold leads at Old Trafford in recent weeks, most notably letting Bournemouth back into Monday night’s thrilling 4-4 draw three times. Away from home, however, their performances have been far more dependable.
The Reds remain unbeaten on the road since late September, picking up notable wins against Liverpool and Crystal Palace, alongside draws with Nottingham Forest and Tottenham.
Sunday’s trip to Villa Park promises to be their toughest test yet. Unai Emery’s team have won nine consecutive Premier League games and sit just three points behind leaders Arsenal, with Villa likely to see an inconsistent United as another side they can exploit on their own turf.
Amorim has some major thinking to do
Bar Senne Lammens starting in goal, Rúben Amorim has a lot to think about when it comes to his starting XI against Aston Villa.
So much of the defensive set-up against Bournemouth was geared toward allowing Amad more freedom on the right. Still, with Amorim’s only genuine wing-back at the Africa Cup of Nations, he could choose to play a complete 4-3-3 with a flat back four.
If this is the case, it’s expected that Diogo Dalot will return to his natural right-back position, while Luke Shaw could play on the left. Ayden Heaven has started the club’s last three games at centre-back but looked shaky against Bournemouth, so could be given time out of the spotlight.
With Matthijs de Ligt and Harry Maguire injured, this could therefore pave the way for Lisandro Martínez to start his first game since returning from a nine-month ACL injury. Due to a lack of other options, it would be natural for Leny Yoro to start next to him.
Villa have a fantastic midfield trio, and the best way to fight against that is for Amorim to deploy a midfield three. With Casemiro suspended, Manuel Ugarte is the obvious choice as the defensive midfielder.
If the United boss is to go with a midfield three, this would allow Kobbie Mainoo to be handed his first league start of the season amid Amorim’s praise for his display against Bournemouth. Bruno Fernandes would then be the other option to complete the trio.
As for the front three, the only real decision Amorim has to make is who starts at striker. Benjamin Šeško returned from injury against Bournemouth and played in the second half, but looked a little sluggish, while Joshua Zirkzee is fit and ready to play when called upon.
Matheus Cunha is the natural choice to start on the left-hand side, while Mason Mount’s good form could see him deployed on the right.
United predicted XI vs Aston Villa
Lammens, Dalot, Yoro, Martínez, Shaw, Fernandes, Ugarte, Mainoo, Mount, Zirkzee, Cunha.
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