Casemiro will return to the starting lineup when Manchester United and Barcelona meet in the UEFA Europa League on Thursday.
Manchester United will aim to take a step closer to the UEFA Europa League Round of 16 when they lock horns with Barcelona at Spotify Camp Nou on Thursday. And Erik ten Hag has greeted a mixed bag of updates on the team news front ahead of his side’s latest fixture.
Casemiro is available after missing the last two Premier League games due to a suspension. But ten Hag will be without Lisandro Martinez and Marcel Sabitzer due to their respective one-match bans. In addition, several other players are not in the travelling squad due to fitness issues.
Scott McTominay (knock), Christian Eriksen (ankle), Donny van de Beek (knee), Antony (leg), and Anthony Martial (hip) are on the sidelines due to their respective injuries. The quintet will also miss the second leg next week.
During his pre-match press conference, ten Hag spoke about the missing players. The Manchester United manager was positive that his team can cope with the absence of Martinez and Sabitzer. The Dutchman also added that Antony, Martial, and McTominay are making good progress in their recoveries.
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He said, “I think they are on the way back. They are coming back in the training squad, [with] the individual [training work]. At the end of the week, maybe Scott can begin training with the team and after the weekend maybe Antony [can do that too], but we have to see. They are making progress, [that is] what we see now.”
“We have, I think, many options in the squad to sort it out and we can use Luke as a full-back and as a centre-back. We saw at the weekend he did both, and both he did very well. But we have in the centre-half other good options, and they also do well. We can choose by game what we prefer.”
Shaw will start as a centre-back in Martinez’s absence, lining up alongside Raphael Varane in the central defensive partnership. Tyrell Malacia thus picks himself on the left flank, with Diogo Dalot starting as the right-back. Meanwhile, there is no looking past David de Gea between the sticks.
As for the midfield unit, Casemiro is an automatic pick in the double pivot alongside Fred. The Brazilian international will replace Sabitzer in the starting lineup. And Bruno Fernandes will be the most advanced midfielder for the visitors.
The Portuguese international will also don the armband for Manchester United in Harry Maguire’s absence. Alejandro Garnacho should return after scoring off the bench against Leeds United. The young attacker will join Marcus Rashford and Wout Weghorst in the final third. So Jadon Sancho will drop to the bench, where he will accompany Anthony Elanga and Facundo Pellistri.
Predicted Manchester United XI: de Gea; Dalot, Varane, Shaw, Malacia; Casemiro, Fred; Rashford, Bruno Fernandes, Garnacho; Weghorst
