Marcus Rashford and Edinson Cavani will start in a much-changed side when Manchester United take on Burnley at Turf Moor on Tuesday.
Manchester United will hope to claim top spot on the Premier League table when they lock horns with Burnley at Turf Moor on Tuesday night. And, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has been handed a major boost ahead of his side’s latest fixture.
The big news is the return of Edinson Cavani, who is available again after serving out his three-match ban. Apart from the Uruguayan striker, the Manchester United boss could also welcome as many as four players back in contention, with the likes of Eric Bailly, Victor Lindelof, Luke Shaw and Paul Pogba all training in some capacity ahead of the trip to Turf Moor.
Speaking in his pre-match press conference, Solskjaer provided an update on the quartet. The Manchester United manager said, “Yeah, all of them trained today. Paul and Eric didn’t do all of it, but Luke and Victor did all of it. I’ve got a decent amount of players to pick from. Let’s see with Paul and Eric and how they are tomorrow.”
Judging by Solskjaer’s comments, it looks like Bailly and Pogba are still some way off reaching peak fitness and might not be risked ahead of the big game against Liverpool this weekend. But, Lindelof ought to return to the heart of the Manchester United defence, pairing up with captain Harry Maguire.
Like Bailly and Pogba, Shaw might not be risked, even though he has trained to full capacity. In the Englishman’s stead, Alex Telles will take his place on the left side of the Manchester United defence while Aaron Wan-Bissaka will be the right-back. In goal, David de Gea should come in for Dean Henderson after practically getting over a week off.
Up ahead in midfield, with Pogba likely to be preserved, Scott McTominay, who was top class this past weekend against Watford in the FA Cup, should start again, with Fred starting alongside him in the double pivot. Meanwhile, Solskjaer also spoke about the returning Cavani in his presser.
“Edinson has trained well since he’s been banned. He’s had a couple of days off as well – you can’t train too much. He’s ready to go. He’s a different option. He’s a different type of striker to Mason [Greenwood], Anthony [Martial] and Marcus [Rashford]. I’m glad to have him back and that’s why we brought him in.”
Cavani should be recalled to the starting lineup straightaway, leading the line for Manchester United against Burnley. Cavani’s return means Anthony Martial should be stationed on the left-wing while Marcus Rashford will start on the right flank, with Bruno Fernandes reprising his usual no. 10 role.
Manchester United Predicted XI: de Gea; Wan-Bissaka, Lindelof, Maguire, Telles; McTominay, Fred; Rashford, Bruno Fernandes, Martial; Cavani
