Jainil Shah
Predicted Manchester United XI to face Luton Town
Erik ten Hag and Manchester United will travel to Bedfordshire as they gear up to face Rob Edwards’ Luton Town. This fixture should be a tard bit trickier than what it looks on paper as Luton have a formidable record at home.
There is something about their stadium, Kenilworth Road, where supporters are near the players (almost on top of them) which brings a loud atmosphere and another aspect of things to deal with for the teams changing up in the visitor locker room.
Liverpool struggled while Manchester City and Arsenal got over by the skin of their teeth. It does not make sense for Erik ten Hag to let his guard down.
United have had injury concerns off-late, and relaying the obvious – Lisandro Martinez will join Martial and Malacia on the sidelines. Summer signing Mason Mount is close to returning and should face a late fitness test if he were to make it to the bench. Luke Shaw was taken off as a precautionary measure against Aston Villa last weekend although he should be in-race to be fit for the game.
We now take a look at the side that could take to the field later tonight.
How Manchester United can line up vs Luton Town:
Erik ten Hag will be expected to stick with his 4-2-3-1 formation with several senior stars retaining their spot.
André Onana
Onana was exceptional against Villa last weekend, answering his critiques about his shot-stopping abilities in quite some fashion. He made eight excellent saves, keeping the Red Devils in the match at a difficult venue. He is the automatic number one at Old Trafford and will retain his spot on the night.
Diogo Dalot
Dalot has been absolute class this season, not only defensively but he has been a beast going forward. You could sense the chemistry between him and Alejandro Garnacho already developing, something that could pay huge dividends to United in the long term.
If Luton Town sets down deep into a block, Dalot’s offensive contributions could open up space for the United wingers to take advantage of.
Harry Maguire
Maguire’s performances have improved massively on & off the ball. He is now closing down opponents with minimal fuss and has shown his experience in cutting off opposition attacks to great effect. He was colossal against Ollie Watkins and he should be expected to be the main man in defence against Adebayo & Morris tonight.
Raphaël Varane
The French international is more of a forced pick given Lisandro Martinez’s injury. While Lindelof is an option, the Frenchman should get the nod over the Swedish star. Varane’s standing at Old Trafford is far from certain but there is little doubt in him and Maguire being the club’s best centre-back pairing at this moment.
Luke Shaw
Despite being withdrawn from the Aston Villa game for precautionary measures, he is expected to be fit for the trip to Luton. Erik ten Hag will have to be wary of using him considering his injury history and how United are light in the left-back position.
Casemiro & Kobbie Mainoo
Casemiro has seen better days at Real Madrid but remains a key cog in Manchester United’s plans. His experience and ability make up for the lost pace as he aims to get stuck in what should be a physically demanding encounter against Luton. This should also help Kobbie Mainoo who could be in for a shock given the nature of the game.
Bruno Fernandes
Bruno Fernandes leads the way in the Premier League with most chances created this season and his importance to the United cannot be understated. It’s about time we see one of his infamous screamers as well. The skipper’s performances have been below par this season and there is no better time than now for him to showcase his brilliance.
Garnacho – Højlund – Rashford
All three United forwards have found their scoring touch and will hope to add to their tally this Sunday. Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho should provide the width while Rasmus Hojlund continues to lead the line.
The Norwegian is ever-so-important as he continues his form in front of goal with five goals in five games as he chases a goalscoring record against Luton.
Formation (4-2-3-1)
