Manchester United face Fulham in the Premier League on Saturday with one eye on Paris Saint Germain, who the Old Trafford side face the following week. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who claimed his ninth win in ten games as caretaker manager against Leicester City, faces the tricky task of fielding a team which can beat Fulham whilst preserving the fitness of a few players.
It is a fine balancing act: overdo it and you are at risk of losing to Fulham; fielding a full-strength side, on the other hand, could result in a key player getting injured. With that in mind, here is an idea of how Man United could line up, with Diogo Dalot and Fred coming back in.
Inserting Fred – who has hardly played under Solskjaer – into the starting XI at the expense of Herrera does not work simply because United’s engine goes missing. The tenacious presence of the Spaniard is very important. Playing Herrera slightly deeper, inviting him to operate behind Fred, would surely give a better platform for the midfielder to succeed against a team United ought to dominate.
Diogo Dalot likewise deserves another chance to get a taste of Premier League football – a move which hands Ashley Young the opportunity to rest ahead of a mammoth game which Solskjaer will need him to play in.
Meanwhile, Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer surprised fans by praising Alexis Sanchez’s performance vs Leicester. The Chilean got his first start in quite some time for the club but failed to make any kind of notable impact. Sanchez was hooked after an hour was gone to reinvigorate a stale United side who were starting to drop their performance levels.
The former Arsenal man has been unable to return to his best form in his career at Old Trafford, only showing glimpses of what he can truly do. This has frustrated some supporters who believe he’s not earning his reportedly high wages despite having enough time to adjust to his new surroundings.
United Xtra@utdxtraOle on Sanchez: “He worked really well defensively. He is coming and improving all the time.” #mufc [BBC]
Solskjaer seemingly refused to criticise Alexis though it’s interesting he chooses to praise the winger’s defensive work and makes no mention of any offensive play. Hopefully the 30 year old can enjoy the same kind of performances his teammates have been enjoying under the Norwegian manager.
The likes of Marcus Rashford, Anthony Martial and Paul Pogba have all been putting in the best shifts of their careers which has seen the Red Devils win all but one of their games during Ole’s tenure. Though the former Molde man didn’t want to throw Sanchez under the bus, Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher didn’t mind doing so, comparing him to Fernando Torres’ ill spell at Chelsea.