ไทย
English
中國人
Manchester United have a golden opportunity to take a significant step toward Champions League qualification when they travel to fellow top-five contenders Chelsea on Saturday.
The Red Devils squandered the chance to open up a 10-point gap over sixth-placed Chelsea on Monday after suffering a shock defeat to relegation-battling Leeds United, but a win at Stamford Bridge would give them a commanding cushion.
However, United have claimed just one victory in their last four Premier League outings and have gone five away trips without beating Chelsea. Michael Carrick and his squad are determined to bounce back from recent disappointments with an encouraging display.
Center Back Dilemma for Chelsea Trip
United are severely stretched in one area: center back. Matthijs de Ligt's recovery from a persistent back problem is still some way off, while both Lisandro Martínez and Harry Maguire are serving suspensions.
Martínez received a contentious straight red card for pulling Dominic Calvert-Lewin's hair on Monday, while Maguire has been handed an additional one-match ban for misconduct following his red card at Bournemouth prior to the international break.
Patrick Dorgu is also confirmed as unavailable for the Red Devils, though there is optimism that Kobbie Mainoo could feature this weekend. The midfielder sat out the Leeds defeat with a minor injury.
Man Utd Predicted Lineup vs. Chelsea
GK: Senne Lammens—The Belgian shot-stopper will likely face a busy afternoon against Chelsea's array of talented attackers, particularly with an improvised defensive partnership shielding him.
RB: Diogo Dalot—Noussair Mazraoui failed to impress against Leeds and looks set to drop out of the starting XI, with Dalot coming in for a fascinating duel against Pedro Neto—and possibly former United man Alejandro Garnacho.
CB: Leny Yoro—Yoro struggled against Calvert-Lewin in the last outing, but will need to push through his difficulties given United's desperate shortage at center back.
CB: Ayden Heaven—The young defender is the most likely candidate to fill in for the suspended Martínez and will face a stern test against the increasingly impressive João Pedro.
LB: Luke Shaw—England colleague Cole Palmer could prove to be Shaw's toughest challenge in west London, potentially pulling the United left back into uncomfortable positions.
CM: Casemiro—Casemiro both scored and was dismissed in a dramatic 2–1 victory over Chelsea back in September. The unexpectedly prolific Brazilian has found the net in half of his appearances against the Blues as a United player.
CM: Kobbie Mainoo—After Manuel Ugarte's poor performance against Leeds, Carrick is desperately hoping Mainoo can return to action on Sunday.
RW: Bryan Mbeumo—Mbeumo was a somewhat unexpected omission from the starting lineup on Monday. Despite inconsistent form in recent weeks, he remains one of United's most dangerous attacking options.
AM: Bruno Fernandes—Fernandes chipped in with another assist last time out as he edges closer to the Premier League single-season record. Four more would see him surpass the 20 set by both Thierry Henry and Kevin De Bruyne.
LW: Matheus Cunha—An undeniably elegant presence, Cunha's modest goal return has somewhat cast a shadow over his debut campaign in Manchester, with only seven goals in 31 appearances.
ST: Benjamin Šeško—Šeško continues to look more effective as an impact substitute, but the Slovenian striker needs more playing time to keep progressing.
Read the Latest Man Utd News, Analysis and Insight From SI FC
Ewan Ross-Murray is a freelance soccer writer who focuses primarily on the Premier League. Ewan was born in Leicester, but his heart, and club allegiance, belongs to Liverpool.