Manchester United XI vs Brentford: Kobbie Mainoo replaced as four changes expected

Erik ten Hag is expected to make four changes as Manchester United face Brentford in the Premier League on Saturday afternoon.

Manchester United are set to return to Premier League action following the international break, with Erik ten Hag taking a close look at his squad ahead of a critical clash with Brentford.

The opening two months of the 2024/25 season have been disappointing, with United languishing in 14th place and managing only two draws in their Europa League campaign.

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This poor form has heightened speculation around Ten Hag’s future, with many expecting the club to announce his departure last week.

However, a draw against Aston Villa seems to have eased the pressure, with the club’s leadership holding off on any decisions. Ten Hag will now spend the next few days assessing his squad before finalizing his lineup for Brentford.

While André Onana will continue in goal, having been one of the club’s best players this season, injuries will force Ten Hag to make multiple changes in his back line.

Harry Maguire has been ruled out of the tie, and although Noussair Mazraoui is in training, he may not be fit to play following minor surgery after suffering heart palpitations.

Should Mazraoui not be selected to play, Diogo Dalot is expected to shift into his natural right-back position. At the same time, there have been rumours that Jonny Evans will cover at left-back.

However, with Evans being awarded the Player of the Match award against Villa, it is more likely that he will remain the left-sided centre-back and be joined on his right-hand side by Matthijs de Ligt.

This would then mean either Lisandro Martínez or Victor Lindelöf would have to cover at left-back, and considering the former is left-footed, he is the more obvious choice. There has been talk that 17-year-old Harry Amass should be given a chance, but the club have previously deemed it too early for the youngster to play senior football, so this is unlikely.

Another change may be forced into play in midfield. Kobbie Mainoo was ruled out of England’s October international fixtures through injury. United confirmed he will be out “for a few weeks” after receiving a knock against Villa.

Luckily, Christian Eriksen has been in fantastic form and will likely remain in the team, taking Mainoo’s place as a progressive midfielder. Manuel Ugarte is unlikely to feature after flying back from South America with a reported injury on Thursday, so Casemiro will likely be the man to swap with Mainoo on the team sheet.

Bruno Fernandes, club captain, will spearhead the side. Initially, Brentford was set to be the second fixture of a three-game ban handed to him during the side’s loss against Tottenham, but this has since been rescinded, making him available for selection.

In attack, there is a slight concern surrounding Alejandro Garnacho. The young winger had to withdraw from Argentina’s October internationals with a knee injury.

Although United has confirmed that he is back in training, there is no indication that he has recovered well enough to start against Brentford. He has been having a knee issue for a few weeks and may need extra time to heal.

Assuming Garnacho cannot start, Amad Diallo may take up the right-wing spot. Although Amad also withdrew from the internationals with the Ivory Coast, it was reported that this was just an illness, and the club have since confirmed that he is back in full training.

Marcus Rashford will likely start on the left wing, while Ramsus Højlund may continue as the team’s striker.

He missed a training session with Denmark last week but started and played 57 minutes against Switzerland, and Ten Hag will be keen to get the 21-year-old back to full fitness as soon as possible.

Man United expected XI

Onana, Dalot, De Ligt, Evans, Martínez, Casemiro, Eriksen, Fernandes, Amad, Højlund, Rashford.

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