Erik ten Hag has selected his Manchester United starting line-up for tonight’s Europa League Group E game vs Sheriff Tiraspol at Old Trafford.
The Red Devils will be targeting a fourth consecutive win in the competition having lost our opener against group leaders Real Sociedad at the Theatre of Dreams.
Here is how we will line-up for the reverse clash against the Moldovan top-flight leaders.
Starting XI: De Gea, Dalot, Lindelof, Martinez, Malacia, Casemiro, Eriksen, Fernandes, Antony, Garnacho, Ronaldo.
Substitutes: Dubravka, Heaton, Maguire, Shaw, McTominay, Fred, Van de Beek, Iqbal, Pellistri, Elanga, Sancho, Rashford.
Manchester United starting line-up vs Sheriff Tiraspol
The former Ajax manager has made four changes to the side that drew 1-1 against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Saturday.
The big news is that Cristiano Ronaldo comes back into the side and starts his fifth consecutive Europa League game following his reintegration into the first team.
United’s number seven was dropped from the squad for the draw against Graham Potter’s Blues after leaving Old Trafford while his teammates were beating Tottenham Hotspur three days prior.
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner is joined in the starting line-up by Victor Lindelof, Tyrell Malacia and Alejandro Garnacho who makes his first senior start for the Reds.
Lindelof replaces the injured Raphael Varane, who will not appear again for the Reds before the World Cup following the injury he picked up on west London, and Malacia, Garnacho and Ronaldo come in for Luke Shaw, Jadon Sancho and Marcus Rashford.
Harry Maguire and Donny van de Beek return to the bench.
The twenty-time league champions won the reverse clash 2-0 in Chisinau last month with a Sancho strike and a Ronaldo penalty ensuring Ten Hag’s men got back to winning ways after losing against Sociedad.
On Monday, Stjepan Tomas resigned as manager of Sheriff after taking blame for side’s domestic defeat of the season, which came on Sunday.
Although the Reds only need a point to secure qualification to the knockout stages, a win is crucial ahead of next week’s final group game at Sociedad.
With the group winners automatically qualifying for the last-16, United need to see off Sheriff to set up a potential top of the group showdown in San Sebastian.
The runners up will go into a play-off against sides that finish third in the Champions League groups, which include European giants Barcelona, Atletico Madrid and Juventus.
Going into tonight’s fifth matchday, United are three points behind the La Liga side. Ten Hag will be hoping that United don’t leave it as late as we did last time out in the competition when McTominay came off the bench to score a 93rd minute winner against Omonia Nicosia.
Manchester United host West Ham United in the Premier League on Sunday.
Including tonight’s European tie, United has six games before the domestic season pauses for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, which kicks off next month.
Receive a digest of our best United content each week direct to your mailbox
