Lisandro Martinez is fit and available for the game between Manchester United and Tottenham in North London on Saturday.
Manchester United will aim to make it back-to-back wins to the start the 2023/24 season when they lock horns with Tottenham Hotspur in North London on Saturday evening. And Erik ten Hag has an unchanged group to choose from in his side’s latest fixture.
The good news is that Lisandro Martinez is fit and available after recovering from a minor ankle injury. But Tom Heaton (calf), Tyrell Malacia (knee), Kobbie Mainoo (ankle), Amad Diallo (knee), and Rasmus Hojlund (back) remain on the sidelines.
Erik ten Hag spoke about Martinez during his pre-match press conference, saying, “He was just training [on Thursday], so I think so. Yeah.” He then proceeded to discuss the behind-closed-doors friendly against Everton this week, saying, “I think it’s very helpful to give players the minutes at the start of the season.”
Meanwhile, ten Hag revealed that Mainoo should be available in less than two months. He said, “I know, in this moment, he’s not there, but Kobbie Mainoo, we have seen him against Arsenal [in pre-season], he is ready to also to pick that role.”
“At this moment, he’s not available but I think he will also, in say one, two months. Not in one month, but in two months, he will be available. And so, for the winter [that] is coming up, he absolutely will have his games.”
In Mainoo’s continued absence, Casemiro and Mason Mount should continue pairing up in the middle of the park. The duo will join Bruno Fernandes in the midfield department, with Mount and Fernandes providing the creative impetus from the centre of the pitch.
Meanwhile, the offensive unit should see one change, with Jadon Sancho replacing Alejandro Garnacho. The latter was sub-par against Wolverhampton Wanderers. So Sancho will get a chance to impress, with the Englishman joining Antony and Marcus Rashford in the final third.
Sancho’s inclusion should be the only change to the starting lineup, with the defensive unit remaining unchanged. So Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Luke Shaw should be the two full-backs. And Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez will be the two central defenders. Finally, Andre Onana is an automatic pick between the sticks.
Predicted Manchester United XI: Onana; Wan-Bissaka, Varane, Martinez, Shaw; Casemiro, Mount; Antony, Bruno Fernandes, Sancho; Rashford
