Erik ten Hag predicted to play nine first team players in XI vs Chelsea (Premier League)

Erik ten Hag is expected to be able to select nine of his preferred starting XI as Manchester Untied travel to face Chelsea in the Premier League.

Manchester United will look to get over the two points they dropped at Brentford on Saturday evening as they prepare to face Chelsea on Thrusday evening in the Premier League.

Mason Mount scored for the first time under Erik ten Hag in the final moments of the London fixture, and may find himself playing against his old club.

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André Onana was one of United’s few good players against Brentford, and will start again when the Reds play Chelsea to continue his great form across 2024.

Although Lisandro Martínez was expected to be fit, he has now suffered yet another injury set-back, ruling him out for a further month alongside Victor Lindelöf, meaning Harry Maguire and Raphaël Varane will likely start at centre-back.

Although Varane himself had a minor injury scare against Brentford, he is okay to play. It is thought that Diogo Dalot and Aaron Wan-Bissaka will start as full-backs, with the pair being the only fit players to operate the defensive flanks.

In midfield, Ten Hag has a risky choice that he must make. United will be looking for all three points, but the Dutch manager must decide what risk he is willing to take.

He could start Casemiro as the safe option alongside Kobbie Mainoo and Bruno Fernandes, but it might be the riskier, and potentially more fruitful, to start Mount alongside the latter to in order to help United maintain a better attacking threat.

The attacking trio will stay the same, with Ten Hag not having much reason to change his front three.

Marcus Rashford will start at left-wing, while Alejandro Garnacho will operate the right. Rasmus Højlund will start up front as he looks to score his first away goal against a big six club.

From this XI, only Luke Shaw and Lisandro Martínez’s absences prevent it from being Ten Hag’s best starting team.

Man United predicted XI

Onana, Dalot, Varane, Maguire, Wan-Bissaka, Mainoo, Mount, Fernandes, Garnacho, Højlund, Rashford.