Manchester United are winless in their last two Premier League outings as they take on Leicester City at the King Power Stadium on Saturday.
For Manchester United, a fortnight muddied by slander and marinated in impatience has taken its sweet time to pass them by. As the cloud dissipates, many would be surprised to learn that the Red Devils are still just two points off the top.
It beggars belief, really, but manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has spent enough time at Old Trafford long enough to know adequately about the severe shifts in tides. It has not been smooth sailing thus far but for a unit that did not have a proper pre-season, the wobbling seems pretty much a part of the script.
But we are past that now and the benefit of the doubt won’t be generously extended much beyond this point by even the most ardent fans. Manchester United need a win and they need it badly.
Leicester City are no pushovers and the Red Devils are well aware of that. Amid mounting injury concerns, Solskjaer leads his side into a testing set of fixtures which could potentially decide his future as Manchester United manager.
Without further ado, let’s take a look at how Manchester United could line up against Leicester City on Saturday.David de Gea may have kept only one cleansheet in nine appearances across all competitions so far this term. However, the fact of the matter is that he has kept Manchester United in several games with his goalscoring heroics. Demoted to second-choice towards the back end of last season, De Gea has taken his spot back, albeit owing to Dean Henderson’s absence through injury. He has been in fine touch and will guard the sticks for Solskjaer’s men on Saturday.
Right-back – Aaron Wan-Bissaka
Aaron ‘Spiderman’ Wan-Bissaka will start at right-back for Manchester United. He has performed well in all three games since being sent off in the Champions League game against Villarreal. They will need him to be a bit more enterprising in the final third, though.
Centre-back – Eric Bailly
Raphael Varane is set to be sidelined for the rest of the month after suffering a groin injury in the UEFA Nations League final against Spain. This leaves Manchester United a bit bare at the back and they will need to depend on the mercurial Eric Bailly.
If he can keep those mistakes at bay, Bailly has enough quality to take over in the meantime.
Centre-back – Victor Lindelof
Manchester United rely on their centre-backs to carry the ball forward and play the ball through the lines. Lindelof has proven to be good at doing that and will need to fill in for captain Harry Maguire, who is still recovering from an injury.
Left-back – Luke Shaw
The obvious choice at left-back, Luke Shaw, is yet to hit the heights of his 2020-21 campaign. But his kind of quality will shine through inevitably and Manchester United’s game will greatly improve once he hits his stride. Solskjaer will be hoping that Shaw returns to his best against the Foxes.
