When Manchester United visits the King Power Stadium on Thursday night, they will be seeking to build on their recent success.
Manchester United will be looking for a third consecutive victory when they go to the King Power Stadium on Thursday evening to face Leicester City.
United, who were beaten 4-2 in this section of the Midlands on their last visit, will be looking to build on Saturday’s hard-fought 1-0 triumph against Southampton. Bruno Fernandes scored the game’s lone goal, ensuring Erik ten Hag’s team added to their 2-1 victory over Liverpool with another win.
While the win over Liverpool was gained as a result of a free-flowing, spectacular performance, the triumph over Southampton forced United to show a different side of themselves, digging in deep and taking the game by the scruff of the neck. They held off a late barrage of attempts, with Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez contributing to a rare away clean sheet.
Ten Hag could field the same lineup that defeated Liverpool against the Saints against the Foxes. David de Gea will remain in goal as he attempts to post back-to-back clean sheets for the first time since December of last year.
Ten Hag is unlikely to change his back-four after it has come together and shown so much promise in the last two matches. That means Diogo Dalot, Varane, Martinez, and Tyrell Malacia must all start again, from right to left.
Ten Hag faces the most difficult decision in midfield, as he may be tempted to hand Casemiro his first start in United colors. He came off the bench in the closing stages at St Mary’s and will now be pounding on the door for a start, which is quite plausible given United’s £60 million investment in him.
Christian Eriksen and Fernandes are set to join him in the midfield three, with the latter being the most advanced of the three. Scott McTominay will be relegated to the bench as a result.
Ten Hag, on the other hand, is set to stay with the same front-three that has started the last two games, with Anthony Elanga, Marcus Rashford, and Jadon Sancho at the helm. Given that Thursday is transfer deadline day and uncertainty surrounds Cristiano Ronaldo’s future, it remains to be seen if he will be in the matchday squad.
But if he stays at Old Trafford and is named to the 20-man matchday squad, he is unlikely to start. Ten Hag prefers a fluid front three, which Elanga, Rashford, and Sancho provide.
De Gea; Dalot, Varane, Martinez, Malacia; Casemiro, Eriksen, Fernandes; Sancho, Ronaldo, Rashford;
