Harry Maguire and Marcel Sabitzer will return, while Bruno Fernandes should feature when Manchester United and Tottenham clash on Thursday.
Manchester United will aim to strengthen their position on the Premier League table when they lock horns with Tottenham Hotspur at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Thursday night. And Erik ten Hag has greeted a mixed bag of updates on the team news front ahead of his side’s latest fixture.
Harry Maguire is available again after missing the FA Cup semi-final against Brighton & Hove Albion due to suspension. But Bruno Fernandes and Scott McTominay remain doubts for the game on Thursday.
Meanwhile, Tom Heaton (ankle), Lisandro Martinez (foot), Raphael Varane (ankle), Phil Jones (knee), Donny van de Beek (knee), and Alejandro Garnacho (ankle) remain on the sidelines for the foreseeable future. That said, Garnacho recently returned to the pitch and might be back in a few weeks.
Meanwhile, ten Hag addressed questions on Bruno Fernandes, McTominay and Garnacho during his pre-match press conference. He said, “There are some unavailable. [Lisandro] Martinez, [Raphael] Varane. We have to see how Bruno Fernandes is. We don’t know yet, he is a question mark. I think, for the rest, we are quite okay.”
During an interview with the club media, he added, “Bruno, we have to wait. He is obviously a question mark. He had a big kick in the first half but he played the game, over 90 minutes, and even in extra-time. But then he went off. We’ve all seen. He’s not excluded for tomorrow but he is a question mark. Garnacho is back on the pitch but he’s not ready for the game tomorrow.”
With Garnacho still unavailable, Marcus Rashford will start on the left flank, with Anthony Martial spearheading the attack. Antony is an automatic pick on the right wing, leaving Jadon Sancho on the bench. The Englishman will be a backup option alongside Wout Weghorst.
Meanwhile, Bruno Fernandes has travelled with the Manchester United squad to London. But with several crucial games left this season, ten Hag will likely leave the Portuguese international on the bench. So Marcel Sabitzer should replace Fernandes, joining Casemiro and former Tottenham man Christian Eriksen in the middle of the park.
As for the defensive unit, Harry Maguire will return to the starting lineup after missing the cup tie. So Luke Shaw will move to the left flank, with Diogo Dalot dropping to the bench. Finally, Victor Lindelof and Aaron Wan-Bissaka will retain their spots, with David de Gea featuring between the sticks.
Predicted Manchester United XI: de Gea; Wan-Bissaka, Lindelof, Maguire, Shaw; Eriksen, Casemiro, Sabitzer; Antony, Martial, Rashford
