Manchester United continue their defence of the FA Cup with Fulham standing in their way on Sunday.
After Manchester United’s 3-2 win over Ipswich Town in the Premier League, Ruben Amorim will be hoping to record back-to-back wins when Fulham try to disrupt the FA Cup campaign.
The FA Cup has thrown up some difficult ties for United after being drawn against three Premier League clubs thus far.
In the third round, United beat Arsenal on penalties at the Emirates. It was Amorim’s first taste of FA Cup action and he followed it up with a fourth round win over Leicester City.
So, although United seem to show up in cup games, things simply have to improve because securing European football for next season is reliant on winning the Europa League or FA Cup.
This makes Sunday’s visit of Fulham all the more important for United to perform as strongly as possible.
Manchester United predicted XI vs Fulham
Manchester United’s best form this season has come in cup competitions, while we sit 14th in the Premier League.
Amorim has watched his United side struggle to adopt his methods midway through the season and Fulham will put up a fight this weekend.
United’s head coach confirmed on Friday that he will not have any of the nine injured players back fit, but he will also be without Patrick Dorgu due to suspension.
With this in mind, here is our predicted line-up…
Andre Onana
In between the sticks, Andre Onana is likely to keep his place while Altay Bayindir is injured. The Turkey international starred in United’s third round win over Arsenal but hasn’t been able to appear since then due to injury.
Matthijs de Ligt
Although we would love to see Ayden Heaven from the start, Amorim is unlikely to take any unnecessary risks at the back. The jury is still out on Matthijs de Ligt but he’s also come into a defence that had been leaking goals before his arrival.
Harry Maguire
Getting on the scoresheet against Ipswich Town last weekend, Harry Maguire continues to thrive under Amorim, but he’d like to be part of a defence keeping more clean sheets.
Leny Yoro
Against Ipswich, Leny Yoro had a solid outing and surely starts against Fulham. The young French defender is getting better each week.
Noussair Mazraoui
Noussair Mazraoui didn’t feature in the starting line-up against Ipswich, although he is expected to return to Amorim’s starting team on Sunday.
Manuel Ugarte
Manuel Ugarte is looking to build on his first goal for United, which he scored two weeks ago against Everton. Needs to be disciplined in front of United’s back three.
Bruno Fernandes
Roy Keane may question Bruno Fernandes’ leadership, but there is no denying he is United’s most important player. All three of United’s goals against Ipswich came from Fernandes’ set pieces.
Diogo Dalot
Diogo Dalot will return to the left flank since Dorgu’s suspension rules him out of action for the next three domestic matches. His form has been a concern this season.
Joshua Zirkzee
Just two of Joshua Zirkzee’s 40 touches against Ipswich came in the opponent’s box. And, United need goals so he needs to ensure that he gets into the danger area.
Alejandro Garnacho
After storming down the tunnel in reaction to being substituted before half-time, Alejandro Garnacho will have fire in his belly to prove himself against Fulham. The 20-year-old could do with a goal.
Rasmus Hojlund
United don’t have many options in attack, but if they did, I’d likely suggest resting Rasmus Hojlund against Fulham. The Dane is short on confidence but has no other choice but to play his way through the struggles.
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