Manchester United booked their place in the fifth round of the FA Cup with a thumping 4-0 victory over the Championship side Wigan Athletic and following that, they will now shift their focus to the upcoming clash against Hull City team at Old Trafford.
The Tigers got the better of the Devils last time these two sides met – at KCOM stadium in the EFL cup tie – and ended Manchester United’s long unbeaten run. Silva’s side will be visiting the Theatre of Dreams on the back of a 1-4 loss against Fulham, hence, United have a great chance to do further damage to their confidence.
Furthermore, their star man – Robert Snodgrass – has also left the club and there are not many who can fill his void. Looking at the recent record, United have won three of their last six games and have been drawn on two occasions and a defeat. Hull, on the other hand, have also won three of their last six games, but have lost on the other three occasions.
In what would be a crucial match for United, here is how Mourinho might line his team up.
Goalkeeper- David De Gea –
A no-brainer! The Spaniard was rested in the FA cup tie and would certainly be stepping on to the field this Wednesday.
Defence- Valencia; Bailly; Jones; Shaw –
This is the spot where we might see a bit of shuffling.
Fosu-Mensah gave a great showing of his character against Wigan, but he is far from being a first choice in the Premier League. With that being said. Antonio Valencia will surely be retaining his spot on the right flank.
The centre-back pairing might see Eric Bailly for the first time this year and he would most probably be lining up with Phil Jones. The English defender has been a great performer for the side and is expected to be on the field as he was rested against Wigan.
On the left side, Shaw might get a nod yet again as he was an impressive personnel in the FA cup tie. The manager does have a couple of options to choose for, but Shaw’s pace and tirelessness cannot be matched by anyone.
Holding Pair- Carrick; Herrera –
Both Carrick and Ander Herrera have been the United’s linchpin so far. Their solidity in the middle of the park is unmatchable and hence, they are clear favourites to feature in United’s midfield pivot.
With Carrick sitting deep defending his back four, Herrera will be given the nod to drive his team forward. Both were rested in the previous fixture, hence it is understood that they will be starting the game.
Attacking Trio- Mata; Pogba; Martial –
It might be the case that Mourinho will look to rest Henrikh Mkhitaryan and will start the game with Juan Mata on the right-hand side. The Spaniard’s chemistry with Antonio Valencia has been a joy to watch so far, as both have wrecked havoc whenever played together.
Pogba is certain to start as he was rested in the weekend’s encounter. The French international did mark his name in the scoresheet against Hull last time out, but his overall performance was not at all convincing.
On the other flank, we might see Anthony Martial’s dribbling skills in action. The 20-year-old has come under a heavy scrutiny, but his wonderful showing against Wigan silenced his doubters.
Striker- Zlatan Ibrahimovic –
The Swedish attacker, like many others, was rested in the previous outing and will be spearheading the attack against the tigers.
