Manchester United could give youngster unlikely debut vs Fulham
Man Utd are back in action when they host Fulham in the FA Cup this weekend.
Manchester United will look to show some resilience when they host Fulham in the FA Cup this weekend. United came from behind to defeat Ipswich Town with 10-men in midweek and hope the unexpected win can be a turning point in a turbulent season.
Fulham should pose a much sterner test, with the visitors seeking revenge after they were dumped out of the same competition by United two seasons ago. The London side imploded that day in a chaotic two-minute spell that saw them lose two players, their manager, and their lead in the blink of an eye.
Marco Silva still feels aggrieved at how the match unfolded, though United will have to cope without January signing Patrick Dorgu, who was shown a straight red card on Wednesday night. The 20-year-old is set to serve a three-match domestic ban, but he might not be the only notable change to the United starting line up, with a possible debut on the cards.
Manchester United could give youngster unlikely debut vs Fulham
Ruben Amorim has favoured utilising a cup goalkeeper during his time at Manchester United, but his options are limited with Altay Bayindir and Tom Heaton both injured. It means Andre Onana is still the most likely to start in goal on Sunday afternoon, though few would back him to keep his starting role after a disastrous performance in midweek.
The Cameroonian has endured a mixed spell at Old Trafford, with as many superb saves as he has made glaring errors. Onana still has time to turn his fortunes around, but so far, he has not been an upgrade on David de Gea and United are still plagued by the same issues they had during his final seasons with the club.
Onana looks like a shadow of the star he was at Inter Milan. He is not only making costly mistakes regularly but also not having the influence on matches many expect. He does not command his box as well as is required, and his distribution has also been an issue, despite it looking like it would be his biggest strength.
There is a strong case to drop Onana against Fulham this weekend, but amid the ongoing injury crisis, it would mean a debut would be required. United's two options are either fifth-choice Elyh Harrison or seventh-choice Hubert Graczyk, hardly compelling options for a game of such magnitude.
Even an error-prone Onana is probably a better bet than either of the youngsters, but if Amorim wants to send a warning to the 28-year-old, it would be to drop him for a teenager who has never played for the club before.
Harrison, 19, spent the first-half of the season on loan at National League North side Chester FC, and it was considered a resounding success. He kept seven clean sheets in 18 league starts and only conceded 16 goals. Last season, he was named Reserve Player of the Year and became the second goalkeeper to win the award since its introduction in 1990.
United opted to recall him from the successful loan spell so he could spend the remainder of the season training with the first team and playing for the academy. It could go one step further if he makes it onto the pitch this weekend.