As Manchester United secured a second place finish with a draw against West Ham United, Jose Mourinho would be relieved to not taking his objective to the final day of the season. Their next and final Premier League assignment comes up against Watford at home, which would coincidentally be Michael Carrick’s final competitive match in a United shirt. Jose might not pick any academy lads for the match, and would solely concentrate on giving some game time to the fringe players. The first-team regulars need a break as they have a crucial cup final to prepare for on Saturday.
Team News:
There will be various changes in the playing XI, and we would discuss that in the segments below. However, Romelu Lukaku’s absence is confirmed, as the Belgian has been unable to recover from the ankle injury that he suffered against Arsenal. Marouane Fellaini has a muscle issue too, and his injury-prone campaign continues.
Formation: 4-3-3
Defence:
Sergio Romero will get the nod ahead of David de Gea for this match. The Argentine had suffered an injury while on international duty but seems to be fit enough to start against the Hornets.
Matteo Darmian would be preferred over Antonio Valencia, as the Ecuadorian would definitely start in the weekend against Chelsea. The Italian has been lacklustre in recent weeks, and this might be his final game for United. Daley Blind will be given a chance to start as the left-sided fullback too, a position where he actually played for almost a month at the start of the season.
Eric Bailly and Victor Lindelof finally could be paired up together for the first time, as Chris Smalling and Phil Jones might be playing at the Wembley. Both Lindelof and Bailly had played for a limited time this season, owing to different reasons. We should expect to see more of them next season onwards provided Bailly wards off any injury scares.
Midfield:
Michael Carrick will assume his role at the centre of the midfield three and would try to control the proceedings of the game with his assured presence on the ball. Scott McTominay could be another player who should start this game, as the lad has actually been impressive enough in any given opportunity.
Paul Pogba will be given a chance, a run in of sorts in preparation for the final. The Frenchman is essential from a creative point of view too, as both Carrick and McTominay wouldn’t wander on the other half much.
Attack:
Marcus Rashford will be leading the line and would hope to bag some crucial goals, as it would be beneficial for his confidence too. Anthony Martial and Juan Mata will flank Rashford on both sides, and actually, each player from the attacking third are in dire need of one good performance to cap off the season.
