Jose Mourinho is likely to make a few changes to the team that started in the midweek game against BSC Young Boys, when Manchester United take on Southampton.
Manchester United will go head to head against relegation-threatened Southampton at the St. Mary’s Stadium in a Gameweek 14 tie of the 2018-19 Premier League season on Saturday.
Manager Jose Mourinho will likely make some alterations to the team that started in the European encounter in the midweek. David de Gea, however, will be retained between the sticks for Manchester United’s trip to the south coast.
Captain Antonio Valencia started the midweek game at right-back, but is likely to be given a breather on Saturday, while Matteo Darmian is likely to miss out with an injury. Summer signing Diogo Dalot is fit and ready to feature though, the manager confirmed ahead of the game.
Speaking to MUTV, Mourinho said, “He had an important injury and then surgery, and then a second injury with the national team [Portugal Under-21s] when he was already playing against Young Boys and Derby County. When he was almost there, he was injured for the national team but now he’s had two weeks of training and we think he’s ready now.”
However, the Manchester United boss is likely to stick with Ashley Young as his right-back, with Luke Shaw set to get the nod on the opposite side of the backline.
Victor Lindelof is ruled out for close to three weeks, due to the groin injury he picked up against Crystal Palace, while Marcos Rojo remains a major doubt as well for Manchester United. That would mean Mourinho is likely to stick with the centre-back pairing of Chris Smalling and Phil Jones that started in the last game.
Club record signing Paul Pogba featured from the bench against the Swiss outfit on Tuesday night, but should be reinstated to the starting lineup on Saturday, with summer arrival Fred likely to make way.
Marouane Fellaini was the hero for Manchester United in the midweek, scoring the only goal of the game. He should hold on to his spot in the lineup, along with Nemanja Matic.
Manchester United will be without the services of star man Alexis Sanchez. The Chilean missed the midweek game and has been categorically ruled out till the end of the year by the manager.
“He [Alexis] has an important injury. I don’t want to risk by saying for how long [he will be out] but from the top of my experience, I would say he’s not playing [again] this year,” Mourinho told MUTV ahead of the game.
With Sanchez ruled out, no change is expected on the left flank, with Anthony Martial set to start again, while Juan Mata could come into the lineup on the right flank, replacing Jesse Lingard. Romelu Lukaku should get the nod upfront, following Marcus Rashford’s wasteful display earlier this week.
