Mason Greenwood bagged a brace as Manchester United came from behind to thump Bournemouth 5-2 at Old Trafford.
While it may seem like Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has nothing to worry about, he will surely ring some changes when his side travel to the East Midlands to take on Aston Villa.
Solskjaer didn’t make any changes from the team that thrashed Brighton as the Red Devils extended their unbeaten run to 16 games, stretching back to the defeat to Burnley in January.
While fifth place in the Premier League could be enough to clinch Champions League qualification, the Norwegian will not want to leave anything to chance.
Man United are currently fifth in the table, just four points behind fourth-placed Leicester City, with a game in-hand over their nearest rivals.
Transfer Tavern have worked on a predicted starting lineup, which sees Solskjaer make three changes to the side that squashed the Cherries.
United have played the past five fixtures in Solskjaer’s preferred 4-2-3-1 formation and it is difficult to believe he will want to mess around with his favourite system at this stage in the competition.
Harry Maguire and Aaron Wan-Bissaka take up their positions in the starting lineup in front of David de Gea. The captain will be looking to make amends after copping some criticism for his performances in recent weeks.
The Red Devils need to be prepared to go full throttle, as the race for a top four finish is arguably hotter than ever before, and this could provide the club legend with the perfect opportunity to rest some of his key players.
Victor Lindelof was hauled off at half-time with a back injury, which cast doubts over his availability at Villa Park. Eric Bailly has barely played many minutes and could be called into action to cover for his teammate.
After spending three months of the season on the sidelines, Luke Shaw has started all 16 matches of United’s unbeaten run so far.
However, he has had problems in the past with his fitness levels, and Solskjaer could decide he needs to rest his legs, with an eye on the upcoming FA Cup against Chelsea.
Brandon Williams has been tipped for greatness and the away game could be a prime opportunity for the 19-year-old to test himself.
The teenager’s pace might prove useful as he will likely have to deal with Jack Grealish and Anwar El Ghazi.
Who should start for Man United?
Eric Bailly
Victor Lindelof
Similarly, Nemanja Matic isn’t getting any younger, and the 31-year-old needs to rest his legs. He didn’t look as fresh as he has done in previous games against Bournemouth and was subsequently substituted for Fred.
The Brazilian has hardly featured at all since the Premier League restart, although Solskjaer may be reluctant to take any risks, and he could make the switch to give Matic some time to recover ahead of a busy schedule.
Paul Pogba and Bruno Fernandes have formed a formidable partnership in such a short space of time, and Scott McTominay is expected to miss out as a result.
Meanwhile, Anthony Martial, Fernandes Marcus Rashford and Mason Greenwood haven’t stopped scoring, drawing comparisons to the United teams of old. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, and it is hard to imagine Solskjaer will want to tinker with his attacking quartet.
Man United fans, do you think this is how Solskjaer will lineup at Villa Park? Let us know down below!
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