Man Utd Forced to Deploy Emergency Attack as Injury Crisis Rocks West Ham Clash
Manchester United are looking to close the gap on the top four as they face West Ham United, a team that has troubled them recently, at Old Trafford.
The Red Devils have suffered defeat in four of their previous five encounters with the Hammers and lost both meetings last campaign—their development this season will once again be tested as Nuno Espírito Santo continues to bolster his team's resilience.
Following the disappointment of their 1–0 loss to ten-man Everton in their most recent home fixture, Man Utd regained some momentum with a comeback triumph over Crystal Palace over the weekend. A poor first-half performance was corrected after halftime as Ruben Amorim's squad secured crucial three points away from home.
Without European competition to worry about this campaign, Thursday evening's clash represents an unusual midweek fixture for the Red Devils. Amorim may be inclined to rotate from the weekend lineup, but will be reluctant to make extensive alterations after discovering a successful approach. He will, nonetheless, have to cope without Matheus Cunha and Benjamin Šeško again—significantly reducing United's potential attacking threat.
Here is how United might set up.
Man Utd Predicted Lineup vs. West Ham (3-4-2-1)
GK: Senne Lammens—Lammens has provided reliable goalkeeping and shouldn't face too much pressure from West Ham's attacking players. The Hammers failed to register a single shot on target against Liverpool over the weekend.
CB: Noussair Mazraoui—Leny Yoro was substituted before the 60th minute at Palace after giving away a penalty and having difficulties against Jean-Philippe Mateta. The French defender could be replaced by the adaptable Mazraoui.
CB: Matthijs de Ligt—Another player who found it challenging against Mateta's physical presence, De Ligt will be hoping for an easier match against Callum Wilson—though the forward has netted three times in his last three appearances.
CB: Luke Shaw—Shaw must be wary of the cutting runs from fellow Englishman Jarrod Bowen, who frequently proves decisive for West Ham. The 30-year-old has featured in every Premier League game this season, clearly overcoming his previous injury issues.
RWB: Amad Diallo—The Ivorian will hope to have a greater offensive influence than he did against Palace, with West Ham expected to defend deeply and absorb pressure. He must, however, be mindful of El Hadji Malick Diouf's overlapping movements.
CM: Casemiro—The experienced midfielder remains vital to United's midfield success with his defensive awareness and combative tackling style. Amorim urgently needs a younger version of the Brazilian.
CM: Bruno Fernandes—Predictably, Fernandes was United's primary creator against Palace, producing a game-high four opportunities and recording two assists. He will need to unlock a compact Hammers defense.
LWB: Diogo Dalot—Dalot will provide the defensive stability needed to contain Bowen, but Amorim may need to introduce Patrick Dorgu from the substitutes' bench if attacking width is required. Wing-back remains a position United are looking to strengthen in the transfer window.
RF: Bryan Mbeumo—United will be eager to maximize Mbeumo's availability before his departure for the Africa Cup of Nations later this month, with the Cameroon winger having failed to score in his previous two outings.
LF: Mason Mount—Mount delivered the decisive goal against Palace with a composed finish and continues to display flashes of his peak ability. Matheus Cunha's return may reduce his playing opportunities in the upcoming weeks, however.
ST: Joshua Zirkzee—Zirkzee found only his fourth Premier League goal against Palace with an excellent strike from a narrow angle. The Dutch striker badly needed such a confidence lift following an extended barren spell—whether he can serve as a long-term alternative to Šeško remains uncertain.
