IT was a harsh lesson for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s young stars in Kazakhstan.
Seven debutants were on the field against Astana, but they were unable to cope as the home side staged a dramatic second half fight-back in the Europa League clash.
Stand-in skipper Jesse Lingard looks set to miss out despite scoring against AstanaCredit: Reuters
United are back to the comforting surroundings of Old Trafford today as they welcome Aston Villa, with a host of experienced heads expected to come back into the fold.
The average age of the side which lost in the Kazakh capital was just 22 years and 26 days, with the likes of Di’Shon Bernard, Tahith Chong, Angel Gomes and Ethan Laird all set to drop out of the starting XI.
And stand-in skipper Jesse Lingard – who ended a ten-month goal drought with a terrific first-half strike – looks set to drop to the bench.
Experienced pro Lee Grant was between the sticks in that game, but David De Gea will claim the No1 jersey for the visit of a buoyant Villa, who ended a run of three Premier League defeats with a win over Newcastle on Monday Night Football.
At the back, Victor Lindelof and Harry Maguire are set to reprise their centre-half pairing, whilst young full-backs Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Brandan Williams will operate on the right and left.
Luke Shaw played in Astana but didn’t look himself – and is now ruled out with a muscle injury.
United were handed a boost in the week with the news that Scott McTominay has recovered from an ankle knock quicker than expected.
With Paul Pogba sidelined because of a similar issue, the Scot looks set to return to the heart of the United midfield where he’ll be joined by Fred.
Ole needs goals and our predicted front four should – at least on paper – provide that.
Anthony Martial and Daniel James will look to create and cause havoc from out wide, with Andreas Peirera given the free roam of the No10 role.
Up top Marcus Rashford is set to lead the line and the England star will be looking to bag his 14th goal of the season for club and country after a run of five goals in five games.
Di’Shon Bernard was unlucky to score an own goal as he deflected a cross behind Lee GrantCredit: Reuters
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
