Manchester United have no fresh injury concerns ahead of the blockbuster clash against arch rivals Arsenal at Old Trafford on Sunday.
Manchester United will face off against bitter rivals Arsenal at Old Trafford, as they look to strengthen their hold on the second place on the Premier League table.
Jose Mourinho’s men are currently two points ahead of Liverpool, with two games in hand, and a victory against Arsene Wenger’s Arsenal side should put them in the driver’s seat to clinch the runners-up spot ahead of the Reds.
Ahead of the big game on Sunday, Mourinho confirmed that Manchester United had the whole squad fit and available for the game, barring the injured goalkeeper Sergio Romero, who has been out since the international break.
“Everybody’s fine,” Mourinho said in his pre-match press conference. “I have 22 players and apart from Romero as a goalkeeper, everyone is fit to play.”
David De Gea made 14 saves when the two sides last met in the league and will be hoping to once again champion his team to a win this weekend. After a spirited performance in the 2-1 win over Tottenham Hotspur last week in the semifinals of the FA Cup, the centre-back duo of Chris Smalling and Phil Jones are expected to start once again for the Red Devils.
Captain Antonio Valencia, who had hobbled off with an injury in that particular game, is fit again and should start as the right-back, while Ashley Young is expected to continue in the left-back slot ahead of Luke Shaw.
The switch to a three-man midfield has worked well for Manchester United and it is very much guaranteed that Mourinho is going to set his team out in a similar manner on Sunday. That would mean Ander Herrera, who scored the winner against Spurs last week and has been in good form of late, will once again be featuring from the kick-off.
Nemanja Matic will take up the defensive anchor role in the middle of the park while club record signing Paul Pogba will complete the midfield trio for the Mancunians.
Jesse Lingard has grown into a vital player under Mourinho and is enjoying his best season at Manchester United by some distance. He is very much likely to be retained on the right flank for Sunday’s crucial contest, meaning Juan Mata misses out.
All eyes though, will be on star man Alexis Sanchez. The 29-year old made the switch from Arsenal to Manchester United in January this year and while he found the going tough initially at Old Trafford, the Chilean seems to be growing in influence with every passing week.
And following his brilliant display against Tottenham this past weekend, something similar will be expected from him against his former employers on Sunday. He will be starting out on the left wing.
Leading the line for the Red Devils against the North London outfit will be club top-scorer for the season, Romelu Lukaku. The Belgian international has netted 27 times in all competitions this term and will be keen on ending the season on a high.
