Manchester United XI to rip struggling Leeds apart with Casemiro’s absence
Manchester United will face Leeds United in the Premier League on Wednesday without the presence of Casemiro.
The midfielder has been handed a three-match suspension for violent conduct, after being sent off during the team’s match against Crystal Palace over the weekend.
This absence, along with the injuries sustained by Christian Eriksen, Donny van de Beek, and Scott McTominay, will likely lead to Marcel Sabitzer making his full debut for the team.
Before the Palace match, Erik ten Hag expressed that Sabitzer is in top physical shape and his impressive 20-minute performance in that game has encouraged the manager to give him a starting role.
Sabitzer is expected to partner with Fred in the midfield. In terms of defense, it is predicted that there will be no changes, with Diogo Dalot being fully fit again, but his lack of match readiness and Aaron Wan-Bissaka’s impressive form will likely result in the latter retaining his starting position.
In defense, we expect to see David de Gea, Raphael Varane, Lisandro Martinez, and Luke Shaw retain their positions, as they were instrumental in the team’s victory against the Eagles.
The attack is also expected to remain unchanged, with Antony, Bruno Fernandes, and Marcus Rashford supporting Wout Weghorst up front. Although Anthony Martial may start ahead of Weghorst if he can overcome his leg injury, it is more likely that he will be used as a substitute if he is fit to play.
Jadon Sancho is hoping to see some playing time as he started his comeback last week in the Carabao Cup against Forest.
However, his hopes were cut short due to Casemiro’s sending off during the weekend’s match. Another option in attack is Alejandro Garnacho, who came on as a substitute on Saturday and made a positive impact, contributing to the team’s second goal before being substituted when the team went down to 10 men.
Facundo Pellistri could also make the bench and has seemingly moved ahead of Anthony Elanga in the competitive pecking order for wing positions.
Taking all of this into consideration, the predicted lineup for Wednesday’s game is as follows.
Manchester United XI to rip struggling Leeds apart with Casemiro’s absence
