Benjamin Sesko and Kobbie Mainoo will return to the Manchester United starting lineup when they take on Aston Villa at Villa Park on Sunday.
Manchester United will be eager to return to winning ways when they lock horns with Aston Villa at Villa Park on Sunday evening. Ruben Amorim has new roster issues to worry about ahead of his side’s latest fixture.
Casemiro is the latest absentee, as he will serve a suspension after picking up his fifth booking of the 2025/26 season. Additionally, Noussair Mazraoui (Morocco), Amad Diallo (Ivory Coast), and Bryan Mbeumo (Cameroon) have joined their national teams for the Africa Cup of Nations.
More importantly, Harry Maguire (thigh) and Matthijs de Ligt (lower back) remain in the treatment room due to their fitness issues. Meanwhile, during his pre-match press conference, Amorim gave a general fitness update on his squad. The Portuguese tactician also addressed questions on Kobbie Mainoo.
The Manchester United manager said, “I think everyone is well. We have one more training [session] but, today, the rest of the lads are ready to go. I’m saying that nobody will recover, nobody is out. Just the guys that you already know. If he is going to play, he [Mainoo] is going to play. If he is not going to play, he’s not going to play.”
During his presser, Amorim spoke at length about Mainoo after his brother brandished a “Free Kobbie Mainoo” t-shirt in the game against Bournemouth earlier this week. The Portuguese tactician also discussed Bruno Fernandes’s recent interview.
The Manchester United boss said, “No. It was not Kobbie that wore the t-shirt. He is not going to start because of the t-shirt, but he’s not going to the bench because of the t-shirt. He’s going to play if we feel that he is the right guy to play.”
“So, that is not an issue. I’m used to [it], I’m here for a year, it’s not new, so we have to deal with that. But I’m not going to do something to Kobbie because someone in his family is doing something. He’s going to be the same, if he’s the right guy to play, he’s going to play. And he played really well. So, that is the important thing.”
“The difference is that he [Bruno Fernandes] spoke with the club before that interview and said what he is feeling. Of course, we can avoid these things because we already know the noise but he talked with the board and I think everything is clear.”
Senne Lammens is an automatic pick between the sticks, with Manchester United lining up in a 3-4-2-1 formation in front of him against Aston Villa on Sunday. The central defensive unit will feature Leny Yoro, Ayden Heaven, and Luke Shaw. Diogo Dalot and Patrick Dorgu will start as the two wing-backs.
As for the midfield unit, Kobbie Mainoo may get a rare start alongside Bruno Fernandes in the middle of the park. Finally, Benjamin Sesko will lead the line for the away side against Aston Villa, with Mason Mount and Matheus Cunha completing the numbers in the offensive third. So, Joshua Zirkzee will be a backup option on the bench for the Red Devils.
Predicted Manchester United XI: Lammens; Yoro, Heaven, Shaw; Dalot, Mainoo, Bruno Fernandes, Dorgu; Mount, Cunha; Sesko
