Aheed Abrar
Official Manchester United lineup that will face Liverpool at Old Trafford
Manchester United face Liverpool in the final game of match day three at Old Trafford. The official lineup has been revealed ahead of kick-off, with both teams looking for their first wins of the season.
Cristiano Ronaldo and Harry Maguire have been dropped from the starting XI in what would come as a surprise to many onlookers.
United go into the game after their worst start in the league for 101 years. We’re currently sitting in 19th place in the PL table. Liverpool aren’t in the best of veins either, having dropped points in both their previous games.
Erik ten Hag’s reign in the Old Trafford dugout has gotten off to a nightmare start. Fans had high expectations from the side after the pre-season. However, the team have looked disjointed in the first two fixtures. Hopefully, that all changes against the Merseysiders.
Here are the XI Red Devils who’ll start the game against Liverpool:
United’s first two games have been disappointing
We started the 2022/23 campaign at the Theatre of Dreams. Brighton & Hove Albion visited Old Trafford. Graham Potter’s side has lost some key players during the transfer window. But unfortunately, they were still the better side on the day.
Pascal Gross scored two goals in the opening half. United’s defence was split open twice by the Seagulls. The game ended 2-1. The second fixture against Brentford revealed the frailties throughout the side. The Bees struck four goals past David de Gea in the first half.
Ten Hag started Christian Eriksen in the centre-forward position against Brighton. Anthony Martial, who was brilliant during pre-season, was on the sidelines. The Frenchman is back on the bench.
Cristiano Ronaldo was on the bench in our first game and came on in the second half. There’s been uncertainty around the future of last season’s top goalscorer. The Portuguese started at the Gtech Community Stadium. However, it didn’t make much of a difference in the end. The 37-year-old is on the bench once more. He’s replaced by Anthony Elanga.
The midfield has come under the microscope. Fans have called for Fred and Scott McTominay to be dropped. Fred has been dropped from the XI while the Scotland international starts. The backline has seen Luke Shaw be replaced in the starting lineup by Tyrell Malacia.
The centre-back pairing of Harry Maguire and Lisandro Martinez has gotten the brunt of the criticism. The captain hasn’t been in the best of forms in a red shirt for some time now. The England international has been dropped in favour of Raphael Varane, which is certainly a rare sight to see considering how regular he has been for us.
More Manchester United News
- Cristiano Ronaldo looks to stay at Manchester United this season
- Leicester City are interested in Manchester United midfielder James Garner
- Transfer News: Five Premier League clubs are interested in Scott McTominay
On paper, Liverpool are one of the toughest tests United will face this campaign. However, the rivalry makes it unpredictable. We’ve lost our last three PL games against the Merseysiders. Hopefully, Ten Hag can conjure up a positive result to avoid losing our first three games of the season on the trot.
