Sesko Set to Break Seven-Week Drought as Man Utd Eye Victory Against Aston Villa
Manchester United aim to find stability as they travel to face Aston Villa in Sunday's only Premier League match.
The Red Devils delivered the match of the campaign last Monday, participating in an absolutely wild 4–4 stalemate with Bournemouth that witnessed them give away three different advantages. The creative flair of Ruben Amorim's team was negated by some terrible defensive work.
United will be determined to deliver a more unified display at Villa Park as they attempt to draw level on points with fourth-place Chelsea, but achieving the win they need to equal the Blues will be extremely difficult.
Villa have claimed victory in their previous nine fixtures across all tournaments and possess an outstanding home form, while United have shown themselves to be an unpredictable force and are without crucial players at both ends of the field.
Here is how Amorim might set up his team for this vital encounter.
Man Utd Predicted Lineup vs. Aston Villa (3-4-2-1)
GK: Senne Lammens—Lammens wasn't entirely responsible for United conceding four against Bournemouth and actually made several excellent stops in the tie, though it wasn't his most impressive performance since his summer arrival.
CB: Leny Yoro—Deployed primarily as a right-back when Amorim switched to a four-man defense against Bournemouth, but found difficulty in an unaccustomed position. Should return to his typical right-sided center-back spot against Villa as United pursue defensive stability.
CB: Ayden Heaven—The fitness problems affecting both Matthijs de Ligt and Harry Maguire have severely affected United, who have been forced to depend on inexperienced 19-year-old Ayden Heaven as their central center-back. He hasn't managed to impress, quite predictably.
CB: Luke Shaw—Villa's collection of offensive weapons will create problems for United and their defense, with Shaw being one of those who must maintain close attention on players like Ollie Watkins and Morgan Rogers.
RWB: Diogo Dalot—With Amad Diallo and Noussair Mazraoui having left for the Africa Cup of Nations, Dalot will return to his favored right side against Villa. He's shown quality in attack lately and needs to compensate for some of Amad's offensive contribution.
CM: Manuel Ugarte—With Casemiro serving a suspension, Ugarte seems his logical substitute. The Uruguayan should join the starting eleven in place of Kobbie Mainoo, who continues to wait for his first league appearance of the campaign.
CM: Bruno Fernandes—Fernandes has been at his inventive peak in recent fixtures, orchestrating play against Wolverhampton Wanderers and Bournemouth. He's recorded five goal involvements in his past two appearances.
LWB: Patrick Dorgu—With Dalot moving back to the right wing, Dorgu should receive a starting opportunity on the opposite side. The quick wing-back must be aware of the attacking runs from Matty Cash, who has already found the net against Manchester City and Arsenal this season.
RF: Matheus Cunha—Central to United's play against Bournemouth, Amorim will desire another strong showing from the Brazilian against a Villa backline without Pau Torres and Tyrone Mings.
ST: Benjamin Šeško—Having not featured from the start since early November due to injury and sickness, Šeško should receive an opportunity against Bournemouth with Bryan Mbeumo away on international service. He will require time to regain match sharpness.
LF: Mason Mount—Mount is experiencing an excellent campaign and now has two strikes in his previous four United appearances. The midfielder's intensity and technical ability is creating an influence in the attacking areas.
