Silverware is on the line for Manchester United, and there are some key decisions Erik ten Hag must get right.
The last time Erik ten Hag had a potential trophy to win, he made every correct decision possible and led his team to FA Cup glory.
At Wembley on May 25th, Manchester United put in their best display of the 2023/24 season and it came at the ideal time.
This game likely played a hand in the manager keeping his job and also brought a lot of fans back onto his side which is seen in the positive atmosphere during pre-season.
But in order to go back-to-back against Manchester City, United will have to be on top form and far better than in the defeat to Liverpool last weekend.
With all this in mind, here are three key decisions Ten Hag will have to make in order to win the game at Wembley.
Keeping Amad Diallo in the starting XI
One player who has been so very impressive during pre-season was Amad Diallo, scoring two excellent goals and catching the eye time and time again.
However, this came while Alejandro Garnacho was on holiday, now there is a chance the Argentine could be thrust straight back into the starting XI.
This, however, would be a mistake as the Ivorian must be backed and rewarded for his form, while Garnacho has only been in training a matter of days.
The 20-year-old will be an electric option from the bench, but Amad must be starting here – it is only right.
Joshua Zirkzee should not start for United
Up top, Joshua Zirkzee is in line for his debut, but the decision will be whether he starts or is used off the bench.
Throughout pre-season, Jadon Sancho has quietly been impressing and these outings might just convince Ten Hag to start the previously shunned forward.
Sancho will be more match-fit to lead the press, knows the tactical set-up and has a major point to prove.
Going forward Zirkzee should be starting, but here it could be a smarter move to choose Sancho – which is exactly how we predicted in our XI prediction.
Should United risk any players vs City
Coming into this game, United have a substantial list of injuries – and even though Harry Maguire was in the squad to travel to London – he cannot be 100 per cent fit having been touch-and-go according to Ten Hag.
Starting Maguire over Jonny Evans would make victory more likely, but it could come at the cost of losing Maguire again.
Outside of the injured players, there are also the likes of Bruno Fernandes and Kobbie Mainoo who have not been back training too long, which could make it a risk to throw them in at the deep end with little match sharpness.
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