Given that Casemiro has been suspended for the upcoming tricky trip to Brentford, Manchester United will be forced into some selection choices for that starting eleven. This is when many Manchester Reds faithful will look to see how under pressure head coach Ruben Amorim is thinking this early in the season and what sort of tactics he wants to implement given the current roster.
So any player coming in for the Brazilian would not just be to maintain a shape or fill out a role. But it will be more of a testament to the balance and structure of the Premier League heavyweights under the Portuguese head coach. And then the risk tolerance that he has.
We take a look at the possible lineup that Amorim could come up with this weekend in the absence of the former Real Madrid star.
Manchester United predicted lineup vs Brentford
Goalkeeper: Bayindir
Bayindir should continue in goal. While many want Ruben Amorim to give Senne Lammens his opportunities to impress in goal, it doesn’t look like it will come tomorrow. The goalkeeping situation at M16 is a bit of a mess, but Bayindir is all set to get a run-in to impress and prove his credentials.
Defence: Leny Yoro, Matthijs de Ligt, Luke Shaw
Leny Yoro comes in again, and he should replace Harry Maguire in the line-up. While Harry had an impressive outing against Chelsea, Yoro is more mobile and athletic, which could come in crucial given how Brentford’s front two are rapid and physical per se. And he will have De Ligt in the middle of the back three.
Luke Shaw had a difficult outing against Man City, but he had an impressive game against Chelsea. The England international will be hungry to prove his critics from past weeks wrong and build on the performance from last weekend.
Playing with three at the back gives United more protection down those middle zones. This in turn allows the wing-backs to go ahead without compromising the backline. And tomorrow you have to use Yoro’s pace alongside de Ligt’s ability to read danger to keep up the back line. And within all of this, Shaw’s experience comes into play, as it gives the visitors more protection against the Bees’ transitions and their ability to punish errors.
Midfield (with wing-backs): Mazraoui, Bruno, Ugarte, Dorgu
The red card that Casemiro took and the suspension that follows will leave a big void in the middle of the park. And we expect Ugarte to step in with some deeper responsibilities tomorrow. He would be looking to shield the back three. With Bruno Fernandes in more of a box-to-box role.
And given how the bees are known to sit in a compact shape. The duo of Mazraoui and Dorgu play in that wingbackrole. The duo must be looking to provide width to the side and try to open up the Bees’ defence. But they need to ensure that there is also a regular trackback(and quickly), given how the hosts like to use wide overloads.
Forwards: Mbeumo, Sesko, Cunha
The duo of Mbeumo and Cunha will play in the two supporting attacker roles. Given how often Sesko acts as a reference point upfront, he will need to play on the inside to try and disrupt Brentford’s marking. Mbeumo and Cunha will need to compound between carrying and passing to get the ball in dangerous areas.
Manchester United predicted lineup vs Brentford (3-4-2-1): Bayindir; Yoro, De Ligt, Shaw, Mazraoui, Ugarte, Fernandes, Dorgu; Mbeumo, Cunha; Sesko