Manchester United beat Brighton & Hove Albion before the international break to qualify for the semi-finals of the FA Cup but they start their league journey right after the break by welcoming Swansea City, who have picked up some form recently. Having lost just one of their last six league games, they have pushed up to the 14th place and will certainly pose some sort of a threat to the Red Devils.
Jose Mourinho’s men need to stitch a run of results to end the season on a high and qualify for the Champions League. They cannot afford to drop points in games against the opposition in the lower half of the table and playing at home, will fancy their chances of bagging all three points. But Swansea has been hard to beat recently and Jose Mourinho will have to get his plans right. Here is the predicted lineup he might field for this tie:
Team News:
Ander Herrera and Daley Blind are both ruled out of this game against the Swans. Phil Jones may also miss this tie, but is back in training while Ashley Young and Scott McTominay will both undergo late fitness tests before the game. Sergio Romero will also remain absent this weekend.
Expected lineup (4-2-3-1):
Defence:
David de Gea has not been at his best recently but is still one of the best in the game. He will retain his place under the bar against Swansea. With Jones doubtful, Mourinho is expected to stick with Eric Bailly and Chris Smalling, who have been used consistently in recent games.
Ashley Young is doubtful and though Luke Shaw seems to have burned his bridges down with the manager, he remains Mourinho’s best option at left-back. He will start in the backline along with Antonio Valencia, who is ever present at right back.
Midfield:
Nemanja Matic is one of the first names on the team sheet for Mourinho. He will start alongside Paul Pogba, in a two-man midfield. This could be a weak spot defensively which Swansea can exploit.
Attack:
Romelu Lukaku remains the lead attacker for the club and should continue to lead the line for United. Alexis Sanchez is expected to keep his place in a no.10 role while Marcus Rashford could start on the left flank.
Jesse Lingard, who had a fruitful time with the Three Lions, could start on the right flank.
Here is how they might line up:
