Manchester United XI vs Aston Villa: Kobbie Mainoo returns as three changes expected

Kobbie Mainoo is expected to be one of three changes as Erik ten Hag selects his Manchester United side to face Aston Villa on Sunday afternoon.

Manchester United are preparing to return to Premier League action with an away match against Aston Villa, their seventh league encounter of the season.

Under Erik ten Hag, the team has had a challenging start, securing only three wins out of their ten games. In their last outing, they let a 2-0 lead slip away against FC Porto, requiring a last-minute header from Harry Maguire to rescue a 3-3 draw.

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As it stands, Manchester United is positioned 13th in the league table, while Aston Villa is enjoying a strong season under Unai Emery. They are sitting in 5th place and just two points off league leaders Liverpool.

Most recently, Villa played against Bayern Munich in the Champions League, triumphing 1-0 with a fantastic goal from substitute Jhon Duran.

André Onana will remain in goal while Noussiar Mazraoui and Diogo Dalot continue as the club’s only first-choice full-backs, with Dalot set to stay at the club’s auxiliary left-back.

However, Maguire may return to the XI against Villa following his goal and performance against Porto. Matthijs de Ligt would then drop to the bench, with Lisandro Martínez partnering the Englishman.

De Ligt has come under some scrutiny following his displays against Tottenham and Porto, and with Ten Hag keen on rotating his key players where possible, this could be the perfect chance to give the Dutch defender a rest before the international break.

In midfield, a lot depends on Kobbie Mainoo’s fitness. After Ten Hag confirmed on Thursday he would be assessed ahead of the Villa game, he was spotted in full training with the rest of his teammates on Friday, hinting that he is fit to play.

If he is, it can only be assumed that he would return to the XI. If that’s the case, Ten Hag will likely want to add further defensive reinforcement behind him, meaning Manuel Ugarte could return.

Ahead of them, Bruno Fernandes’ three-game ban following his red card against Tottenham has been rescinded, and as captain, he will likely continue in the team despite some fans’ calls to drop him.

After returning to the XI, Rasmus Højlund is expected to continue as the striker in attack. He scored on his first start this season away against Porto, and considering Joshua Zirkzee’s lack of goals, Ten Hag will want a strong and direct runner against the Birmingham side.

Marcus Rashford was taken off at half-time on Thursday evening, with Ten Hag confirming this was to keep him fresh. This means he will probably start on the left wing when the team visits Villa Park.

Amad Diallo, who has started most of United’s Premier League games on the right-hand side, is set to continue in that position. The only two games he has not started in the competition have been the 3-0 losses against Tottenham and Liverpool at Old Trafford.

Man United expected XI

Onana, Mazraoui, Maguire, Martínez, Dalot, Ugrate, Mainoo, Fernandes, Amad, Højlund, Rashford.

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