Man United will face Leeds again at Elland Road on Sunday and our writers have shared their favorite starting line-up for the game
Manchester United meet Leeds for the second time in a week on Sunday afternoon at Elland Road.
Leeds appeared to record a historic 2-0 victory at Old Trafford on Wednesday night, but Marcus Rashford found his side in the game after an hour and substitute Jadon Sancho equalized soon after.
The two teams now meet at Elland Road just four days after the midweek game where the points were shared.
In early squad news, Antony, Anthony Martial and Scott McTominay are likely to be out again, but Aaron Wan-Bissaka could be available after missing last week’s game against Leeds through illness.
It has affected United that the return leg with Crystal Palace is going so quickly and that could be the case at Leeds on Sunday. Ten Hag have no choice but to re-elect Fred but he had a good season, scoring home and away against Leeds last season and should have learned a lesson from Wednesday night’s draw.
Leicester at home could be an opportunity to rest Raphael Varane, but United must treat this match with the concentration it requires. The only change must come in attack, where it would be appropriate to leave Sancho and abandon Wout Weghorst. Garnacho would be an occasional starter and needs to cut back on Instagraming, but he could also benefit from a second straight start against opponents he has struggled with.
Tirone Marshal
Ten Hag’s hands are a bit tied when it comes to changes for the journey to Elland Road this weekend. Dalot looked rusty when he returned to the squad on Wednesday but Wan-Bissaka was ill. Varane, Martinez and Shaw should all start.
The midfield didn’t perform optimally either, but the options are limited here as well. Lindelof is unlikely to start in the starting role from the start, so Sabitzer, Fred and Fernandes will have to start again, but they must look at a closer unit than they have during the week.
One area I would change is offense.
Weghorst has started every game since joining the team, but he needs a break now. Rashford has scored within minutes in each of United’s last two games and he looks superb as a striker. This would allow Sancho to step up on the left and Garnacho can play on the right this time.
Rich Fairy
United’s midfield selection will likely support the whole approach at Leeds and could in turn lead to changes in defence.
Fred is unlikely to keep his place and fails when Martinez is in a deep midfield position, with Shaw being the best option to replace him at centre-back as Malacia also comes on. Sancho should start and it would be good to see what he can do on the right, with Rashford at his best playing on the left.
There’s an argument for dropping Weghorst too after his poor mid-week performance, but it makes more sense to rest him against Barcelona and use a false nine for that game instead.
Stephen Railston
The backline regained momentum after Dalot returned to the side, with Wan-Bissaka sidelined with illness.
Fred is expected to lose his starting job following his midweek appearance, but Mainoo and Iqbal are the only other options in midfield. By default, he keeps his spot next to Sabitzer, who continued to improve on Wednesday, and Fernandes. Weghorst was anonymous against Leeds and it seems best to start Rashford in the middle, with Sancho on the right and Garnacho on the left. It is a dynamic front line and it would be hampered by the nascent Weghorst.