Joshua Zirkzee and Diogo Dalot will return to the Manchester United starting lineup against Brighton & Hove Albion at Old Trafford on Sunday.
Manchester United will be eager to continue the recent unbeaten run when they welcome Brighton & Hove Albion to Old Trafford on Sunday afternoon. And Ruben Amorim has greeted a positive update on the team news front ahead of his side’s latest fixture.
Diogo Dalot is available after serving a one-match suspension earlier this week against Southampton. However, Luke Shaw (calf), Victor Lindelof (unspecified), Jonny Evans (muscle), and Mason Mount (hamstring) remain on the sidelines.
Meanwhile, during his pre-match press conference, Amorim did not provide a fitness update on any player but discussed the effects of recent rigours. In addition, the Portuguese tactician spoke about Rasmus Hojlund’s recent slump.
The Manchester United manager said, “The players will get used to do that. I’m trying to be honest with you guys and I talk openly about the game. And you are focused on what I said about Ugarte. Ugarte was tired because he did a great job against Liverpool and against Arsenal and you see it.”
“Maybe, if you look at the game versus Arsenal, maybe Ugarte and Bruno [Fernandes] were the best players. Against Liverpool, they were and they didn’t play against Newcastle. I think that has happened with all the players here in the Premier League. They can play but they don’t play the same way.”
The Manchester United boss said on Hojlund, “I think it’s a team problem and you can see it. It’s not just from now, it’s from the past. So we clearly have a lack of goals and a lack of threat. When you threaten the opponents, the opponents maybe don’t press you so high.”
“So everything is connected and all the players have moments in this season. I think, when we start this journey together, Rasmus was the player that was always scoring. So he can come back in the next game, we will see, but I think it’s more a team problem than a Rasmus problem.”
Hojlund will drop out of the starting lineup, with Joshua Zirkzee leading the line for Manchester United against Brighton. Bruno Fernandes and Amad Diallo will accompany the Dutchman in the final third. As for the midfield unit, Manuel Ugarte and Kobbie Mainoo will retain their spots after Amorim subbed them off early against Southampton.
Andre Onana is an automatic pick between the sticks, with the home side lining up in a 3-4-2-1 formation in front of him against Southampton. Finally, the central defensive unit should feature Matthijs de Ligt, Harry Maguire, and Lisandro Martinez, with Noussair Mazraoui and Diogo Dalot being the two wing-backs.
Predicted Manchester United XI: Onana; de Ligt, Maguire, Martinez; Mazraoui, Eriksen, Ugarte, Dalot; Amad, Bruno Fernandes; Zirkzee
