How Manchester United Could Line Up Against Crystal Palace
Crystal Palace are the next team to face Manchester United in the Premier League, with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side looking to continue their good form. Solskjaer has a number of options available to him as he looks to pick his team, with a number of players impressing in recent weeks. So, how could United line up against Palace? Here is a look at one potential XI…
How Manchester United Will Line Up Against Crystal Palace
Given that United are likely to be without a number of key players for the trip to Selhurst Park, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer may be forced to field a somewhat makeshift side.
In goal, David de Gea is certain to start, with Sergio Romero still sidelined through injury. In front of him, Solskjaer will probably opt for a back four of Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Eric Bailly, Victor Lindelof and Luke Shaw.
With Paul Pogba still absent and Scott McTominay also injured, Fred and Nemanja Matic are likely to continue in midfield. Ahead of them, Jesse Lingard could keep his place in the starting XI after impressing against Astana on Thursday night, with Juan Mata and Daniel James providing support from the flanks.
Up front, 17-year-old Mason Greenwood is in line for another start after finding the net against Astana. He will be joined by Anthony Martial, who has been in excellent form so far this season.
When And Where Is Man United Vs. Crystal Palace Taking Place?
Manchester United are set to take on Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park on Saturday, 24th February. The match is scheduled to kick-off at 12:30 GMT.
This will be the first meeting between the two sides since September 2015, when Palace came from behind to win 2-1 at Old Trafford thanks to a brace from Scott Dann.
United will be looking for revenge this time around and will also be hoping to close the gap on Premier League leaders Chelsea, who are currently 10 points ahead of them.
Palace, meanwhile, will be hoping to continue their good form and climb further away from the relegation zone. They currently sit in 14th place, four points clear of the bottom three.
Which players Could Feature In Man United Vs. Crystal Palace?
There are a number of players who could feature in Manchester United’s game against Crystal Palace. Some of these include:
-David de Gea: The Spanish goalkeeper is one of the best in the world and has been a key player for Manchester United over the years. He is likely to start in goal for this game.
-Victor Lindelof: The Swedish defender has been a regular starter for United this season and should keep his place in the team for this game.
-Harry Maguire: The English centre-back is another player who has been a regular starter for United this season. He will be looking to continue his good form against Palace.
-Luke Shaw: The left-back has missed some games through injury but is expected to return to the team for this match.
-Aaron Wan-Bissaka: The young right-back has impressed since breaking into the first team this season. He is likely to keep his place in the team for this game.
-Nemanja Matic: The Serbian midfielder has been a key player for United when fit and available this season. He should start in midfield again against Palace.
Manchester United Squad
The Manchester United squad for the game against Crystal Palace is:
Goalkeepers: David de Gea, Sergio Romero, Joel Pereira
Defenders: Antonio Valencia, Eric Bailly, Chris Smalling, Marcos Rojo, Daley Blind, Matteo Darmian, Luke Shaw
Midfielders: Paul Pogba, Ander Herrera, Juan Mata, Jesse Lingard, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Nemanja Matic
Forwards: Romelu Lukaku, Anthony Martial, Marcus Rashford
Manager: Jose Mourinho
Goalkeeper And Defenders
David de Gea will continue in goal for Manchester United, with Sergio Romero still sidelined through injury. In defence, skipper Harry Maguire is a doubt after picking up a knock on international duty with England, so Victor Lindelof could partner Eric Bailly at the heart of the backline. Luke Shaw should start at left-back, with Aaron Wan-Bissaka keeping his place on the right side of defence.
In Maguire’s absence, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer could opt for a back three of Lindelof, Bailly and Shaw. This would see Brandon Williams move to right wing-back, with Alex Telles slotting in on the left flank.
If Solskjaer does stick with a back four, then Shaw and Wan-Bissaka are likely to retain their places as full-backs, with Diogo Dalot and Timothy Fosu-Mensah providing cover from the bench.
Midfielders
Manchester United will be looking to get back to winning ways when they take on Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park on Saturday.
After a disappointing start to the season, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side will be keen to get all three points against Roy Hodgson’s men.
The United boss is likely to make a few changes to his side after the defeat to Brighton, with Nemanja Matic and Fred coming into the midfield.
Paul Pogba is also in line to start after impressing in the midweek League Cup win over Rochdale.
Juan Mata could be the man to make way for Pogba, with Jesse Lingard and Anthony Martial keeping their places in attack.
Forwards
The forwards are the players who are responsible for scoring goals and creating chances for their team. In a 4-3-3 formation, there are three forwards, which are typically attacking minded players who have good dribbling and shooting ability.
In recent years, Manchester United have had a number of different forwards in their squad. However, they seem to have settled on a front three of Anthony Martial, Marcus Rashford and Mason Greenwood. All three of these players are talented young forwards who have the potential to become world-class players.
Martial is a French forward who joined Manchester United from Monaco in 2015. He is a quick and skilful player who is excellent at dribbling and has a great deal of potential. Rashford is an English forward who came through the academy at Manchester United. He made his debut for the first team in 2016 and has since become an important player for both club and country. Greenwood is an English forward who also came through the academy at Manchester United. He made his first-team debut in 2019 and has since established himself as one of the best young talents in Europe.
All three of these forwards are extremely talented and have the potential to score lots of goals for Manchester United this season. They will be key players in Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side as they look to challenge for trophies this season.
Conclusion
All in all, it is looking like a strong lineup that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer could go with against Crystal Palace. The only real question mark is at right-back, but if Diogo Dalot is fit enough to start then he should get the nod ahead of Wan-Bissaka. What do you think of this potential lineup? Let us know in the comments below!
