Manchester United XI vs West Ham: Rasmus Højlund returns as two changes expected

Erik ten Hag is expected to make two changes as he prepares his Manchester United XI to face West Ham in the Premier League.

Manchester United are preparing to return to Premier League action with a trip to West Ham.

Their recent 2-1 win over Brentford wasn’t enough to lift them higher than 12th in the table, intensifying the pressure on Erik ten Hag to drive improvement.

Read More: Manchester United injury news vs West Ham as two players set to return

Following a 1-1 draw with Fenerbahce in the Europa League, United face a quick turnaround with just two days’ rest before Sunday’s fixture.

This match will mark Ten Hag’s ninth league game of the season, with United recording three wins, three defeats, and two draws so far.

Two changes expected

Ten Hag is expected to make two changes in the defensive and attacking departments as he prepares his side for the Sunday afternoon clash.

While Noussiar Mazraoui started the Fenerbahce tie in the No. 10 role due to Bruno Fernandes’s absence, the Portuguese international has rejoined the squad and is expected to resume his role.

This means that Mazraoui will likely return to his natural right-back position, with Diogo Dalot shifting back to left-back. Victor Lindelöf will, therefore, probably be dropped back to the bench, with Lisandro Martínez and Matthijs de Ligt as centre-halves.

André Onana, one of United’s best players this season, will remain in goal following his fantastic double-save on Thursday evening.

Christian Eriksen is currently in undroppable form, and following his goal against Fenerbahce, chances are he will continue in the XI. Manuel Ugarte was also great in midweek, meaning he will likely keep his place alongside the Dane.

The other change likely to occur is Joshua Zirkzee making way for Rasmus Højlund as the club’s striker.

Zirkzee has failed to impress since his opening-day debut goal for the club, and Højlund has been returning to good form. The Danish striker has scored in two of his three starts this season, and his chemistry with the squad is evident.

On the wings, it’s expected that Alejandro Garnacho will continue at left-wing, while Marcus Rashford will play on the right – a combination that worked brilliantly against Brentford last weekend.

This is unfortunate for young star Amad Diallo, who many fans feel deserves minutes with the team after impressive performances in August and September.

Man United expected XI

Onana, Mazraoui, De Ligt, Martínez, Dalot, Ugarte, Eriksen, Fernandes, Rashford, Højlund, Garnacho.

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