Ruben Amorim will take charge of his very first Manchester Derby on Sunday as Manchester United head to the Etihad.
Fresh off victory in the Czech Republic, Manchester United are now gearing up for arguably the biggest game of the season yet and a chance to pile further pain onto Manchester City.
Ruben Amorim had his substitutes to thank for United’s 2-1 win over Viktoria Plzen on Thursday evening, a result which saw Amorim join Sir Alex Ferguson in history.
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United came from behind to win, with Rasmus Hojlund scoring a brace from the bench – settling Amorim’s striker conundrum at least for now.
This game was a much-needed boost of confidence after successive defeats, and it was timely considering the looming Manchester Derby on Sunday.
How will Manchester United line-up against Manchester City
So, with Amorim narrowly avoiding a third loss in a row on Thursday, now he will be looking to end the Premier League losing streak and there is no better time to do so than against the cross-city rivals.
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Sunday afternoon sees City and United clash at the Etihad. Amorim will be confident of picking up a result considering Pep Guardiola’s one win in 10 games.
Before the game, Amorim confirmed Jonny Evans’ fitness – which means barring Luke Shaw there is a full squad to choose from. Here is how we have predicted United will line-up.
Andre Onana
In goal, Andre Onana has had a couple of howlers in recent games, but we cannot imagine Amorim will be near dropping the Cameroonian just yet.
Leny Yoro
After being completely rested on Thursday, chances are Leny Yoro will be in line to start against Manchester City. Yoro is virtually untouchable when fit considering the outlay and his incredible potential.
Matthijs de Ligt
In the central centre-back role, Matthijs de Ligt has made himself a key part of Amorim’s team, although the Dutchman takes part of the blame for the goal conceded against Plzen.
Lisandro Martinez
On the left, Lisandro Martinez had a great Thursday night as he dominated defensively and is undoubtedly the first choice here, he’ll be needed against City.
- READ MORE: Who is Lisandro Martinez? Step inside the life of Manchester United’s tenacious Argentine
Noussair Mazraoui
One change to the norm, at right wing-back Noussair Mazraoui should be used to combat the threat coming the other way, while also meaning Diogo Dalot can be dropped amid some poor form.
Manuel Ugarte
In midfield, Manuel Ugarte or Casemiro would be a wise choice, with Casemiro rolling back the years so far under Amorim. Ugarte however has been a star, locking himself into Amorim’s strongest line-up.
Kobbie Mainoo
Kobbie Mainoo is still building up his fitness and Amorim is managing his minutes, but it is a no-brainer to start the talented midfielder in this one.
Tyrell Malacia
On the left, after a very impressive performance against Plzen in which he won 100 per cent of his duels and 100 per cent of his tackles, Tyrell Malacia should start.
Amad Diallo
On Thursday, Amorim highlighted how important a left-footed forward in the right-sided No.10 slot was, and due to this Amad Diallo probably start again in the derby.
Bruno Fernandes
Alongside Amad, we would like to see Bruno Fernandes. Putting United’s two most creative players behind the striker just makes sense, especially with City’s defensive frailties and absences.
Rasmus Hojlund
Rasmus Hojlund scored twice mid-week and once last weekend, so we would be shocked if he was not starting through the middle on Sunday at the Etihad. The pace of Marcus Rashford could be an option in the second-half against the weak City defence.
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