Manchester United expected squad vs Barnsley as Rasmus Højlund decision made

Manchester United are expected to see some rotation as they prepare to face Barnsley at Old Trafford in the third round of the Carabao Cup.

After back-to-back losses to Brighton and Liverpool, Manchester United bounced back with a dominant win over Southampton at St. Mary’s.

The match saw a fast start, and 30 minutes in, Diogo Dalot conceded a penalty, but André Onana’s save shifted the momentum in United’s favour. Moments later, Matthijs de Ligt headed home a Bruno Fernandes cross for his first goal with the club, and Marcus Rashford doubled the lead with a curling shot before half-time.

Read More: Two Southampton players break unwanted records during 3-0 defeat vs Man United

In stoppage time, Alejandro Garnacho sealed the 3-0 win with a powerful finish, securing United’s vital three points.

Now, their attention will shift to the Carabao Cup as they welcome League One outfit Barnsley to Old Trafford in the third round of the competition Erik ten Hag won in 2023.

While the squad is not expected to change much, several XI changes are possible as the side heads into their first mid-week fixture of the season.

While some fans were hoping to see Rasmus Højlund and Luke Shaw return to the matchday squad, Ten Hag has already ruled out the pair and Mason Mount.

He explained that, with United playing many games in the next three weeks, he hopes that they will return soon within the next few weeks.

“Of course, it’s an important period with many games to play – I think seven in 22 days,” he told reporters.

“We need everyone, and hopefully, players are returning. It will not be the case for the next game, but hopefully, in the next weeks, they [Højlund, Mount and Shaw] will return to the squad.”

This leaves the door open for Ethan Wheatley to join the travelling squad and maybe even get some minutes. At the same time, other secondary players such as Toby Collyer, Antony, and Harry Maguire may be given time from the start.

It will be interesting to see if Ten Hag elects to start Manuel Ugarte, who made his debut against Southampton, coming on with 20 minutes left to play. Ugarte has not had much of a pre-season but has already proved his fitness.

He played 90 and 79 minutes across two games during the international break with Uruguay and has now completed multiple training sessions with his teammates. However, Christian Eriksen’s good performances at St. Mary’s may force Ten Hag to keep the Danish international in his side.

Man United expected squad vs Barnsley

Goalkeepers: André Onana, Altay Bayındır.
Defenders: Diogo Dalot, Noussair Mazraoui, Matthijs de Ligt, Harry Maguire, Jonny Evans, Lisandro Martínez.
Midfielders: Kobbie Mainoo, Bruno Fernandes, Manuel Ugarte, Casemiro, Christian Eriksen, Toby Collyer.
Forwards: Marcus Rashford, Joshua Zirkzee, Alejandro Garnacho, Amad Diallo, Antony, Ethan Wheatley.

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