Erik ten Hag will have several tough decisions to make when selecting his side for Manchester United’s FA Cup clash against Everton.
The Red Devils face cup matches in their next two matches, beginning with Friday’s clash against the Toffees which is followed by an EFL Cup encounter with League One side Charlton Athletic. After that, it’s a Premier League game against Manchester City, a fixture Ten Hag will hope his team head into in peak fitness levels.
Therefore, he’s unlikely to rest all of his senior players across the double header with Everton and Charlton, and the team selected on Friday is expected to be stronger than the one which will face the Addicks at Old Trafford next week.
United also have a relatively strong squad to select from, with only three players - Axel Tuanzebe, Donny van de Beek and Jadon Sancho - not expected to be involved against Everton. Asked about the latter in his pre-match press conference, Ten Hag said: “I would like to have Jadon back as soon as possible. But also in this, I can’t force this process. So I will do everything that’s in my power but some processes you can’t force and this is one of them so I also have to show patience.”
Ten Hag also confirmed Sancho’s absence is due to a lack of fitness, while he is unsure at this stage how severe Van de Beek’s knee injury is. The midfielder had to be replaced in the first half of the win over Bournemouth after being on the receiving end of a nasty-looking challenge from Marcos Senesi.
With all that in mind, here’s how we think United will line up against Everton...
1. GK: David de Gea
With Jack Butland’s signing not yet confirmed, De Gea might start, as he did in all six Europa League fixtures this season. Tom Heaton is another option.
2. RB: Diogo Dalot
Hasn’t started since coming back from the World Cup and could return on Friday, meaning Aaron Wan-Bissaka would likely play against Charlton.
3. CB: Raphael Varane
Was rotated against Bournemouth and is more likely to be rested in midweek than against Everton. Harry Maguire and Victor Lindleof could, therefore, have the night off and return to face Charlton.
4. CB: Lisandro Martinez
Similar to Dalot, and Everton looks like a good opportunity for the World Cup winner to get some minutes in his legs.