Manchester United expected squad vs Liverpool as Erik ten Hag forced into two changes

Erik ten Hag is expected to be forced into two changes as he picks his Manchester United squad to face Liverpool in the Premier League.

Manchester United are preparing for their third Premier League match of the 2024/25 season as they get ready to host Liverpool at Old Trafford.

Erik ten Hag‘s men have had a mixed start, with a 1-0 win over Fulham followed by a last-minute 2-1 loss to Brighton. However, the team has shown signs of an improved structure and organization compared to last season.

Read More: When Manchester United will complete signing of 18yo wonderkid Sekou Kone

Liverpool, led by new manager Arne Slot, have made a strong start, winning their opening matches 2-0 against Ipswich Town and Brentford. Slot will be looking to make a strong statement by securing a crucial win at Old Trafford.

Although Ten Hag has named an unchanged side against Fulham and Brighton, he will likely be forced to make two changes to his squad that face Liverpool.

Firstly, Scott McTominay, on the bench for both ties, is set to fly to Italy on Thursday for his medical with Napoli in a £25.7 million move from Old Trafford ahead of the transfer deadline on Friday evening.

With McTominay unavailable, he may be replaced directly by Manuel Ugarte, who is set to sign with United this week. This means he may be registered in time to make Ten Hag’s squad following his £42 million move from Paris St. Germain.

Secondly, it has been revealed that Mason Mount will be out until the end of September with a hamstring injury.

Mount came off at half-time against Brighton despite being one of the best players on the pitch for those 45 minutes, and Ten Hag explained it was due to a worry surrounding the English midfielder.

With Mount ruled out of the tie against Liverpool, youngster Ethan Wheatley, who made his debut last campaign, is likely to join the first team as Joshua Zirkzee may be handed his first start as a replacement for Mount.

Beyond this, no more changes are expected. Despite United being open to offers for Christian Eriksen, none have been forthcoming, and unless there is a dramatic change, he will remain part of the squad.

Rasmus Højlund and Luke Shaw remain sidelined until mid-September, while Leny Yoro and Tyrell Malacia are not expected back until November.

Victor Lindelöf has a foot problem and has not been spotted in training recently, meaning he may not return until after the international break.

Man United expected squad vs Brighton

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.

Make sure to follow UtdDistrict on X, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok to never miss out on any of our Manchester United content. Our podcast, What the Devil?, is released every Thursday at 6 pm (BST) on the United View YouTube channel.