Rasmus Hojlund will replace Joshua Zirkzee when Manchester United and Wolverhampton Wanderers clash at the Molineux on Thursday.
Manchester United will be desperate to return to winning ways when they lock horns with Wolverhampton Wanderers at the Molineux on Thursday evening. Ruben Amorim does not have any new issues to worry about ahead of his side’s latest fixture.
Luke Shaw (calf), Victor Lindelof (knee), and Mason Mount (hamstring) remain on the sidelines, with the trio not returning anytime soon. However, Matthijs de Ligt should return if he has recovered from the illness that has kept him out of Manchester United’s last two games.
Meanwhile, during his pre-match press conference, Amorim gave a comprehensive response to a question about rotations. He said, “In this moment, it’s not rotation to see the players and prepare the future. It’s simply to not have injuries. Matthijs is sick. Harry Maguire did 90 minutes against [Manchester] City and cannot play three days before because, in three months, he only did 90 minutes one time against City.”
The Manchester United boss added, “So we have to rotate him during the week and today [Sunday] he is playing. Kobbie Mainoo played, he returned from injury, so I have to think if he’s ready to cope with both games so, sometimes, I have to play two games at the same moment. Rasmus [Hojlund] played two games, the third game today [Sunday] and I think we needed fresh legs.”
“So we are trying to address everything. I just want to win games because I know that there’s a long-term project and we are focused on that. But I also know that in big clubs you don’t have a lot of time and you have to win games. So I have a clear idea of the responsibility I have here but I’m trying to manage this team to not have injuries. If we have injuries, it’s a massive problem in trying to win games and manage all the players, so I’m not rotating to see the future. I just want to win games and not have injuries. If we have injuries, it’s a big problem.”
The Manchester United manager also spoke about the Marcus Rashford situation, saying, “I understand that these players have a lot of people around them, making choices that are not the first idea from the player. I am always here to help Marcus as another player. I have to do what I have to do. They chose to do the interview, as it is not just Marcus. I understand that. As a coach, I focus on performance and the way you train. The rest, it is better for me and the club to deal with that when the time comes.”
Rashford will likely remain on the sidelines, while Rasmus Hojlund should be the central striker for the away side. Bruno Fernandes and Amad Diallo will accompany him in the final third. As for the midfield unit, Kobbie Mainoo and Manuel Ugarte should pair up again in the middle of the park.
Andre Onana is an automatic pick between the sticks, and the away side should line up in a 3-4-2-1 formation in front of him against Wolverhampton Wanderers. The central defensive unit should feature Matthijs de Ligt, Harry Maguire, and Lisandro Martinez. Finally, Noussair Mazraoui and Diogo Dalot should be the two wing-backs.
Predicted Manchester United XI: Onana; de Ligt, Maguire, Martinez; Mazraoui, Ugarte, Mainoo, Dalot; Amad, Bruno Fernandes; Hojlund
