With Manchester United’s first game since the international break coming up this weekend, let’s take a look at who can be expected to start for United in a vital game against Everton.
David De Gea
A rather obvious selection this one. He is by far United’s best keeper, with Sergio Romero playing for several games before De Gea’s controversial failure to move to Real Madrid on deadline day.
The Spaniard has been in good form as always and in reality the 3-0 defeat against Arsenal could have got a lot uglier if De Gea wasn’t in fine form as he usually is. A more average keeper would have leaked several more goals and turned a hammering into an embarrassment.
There is no way De Gea will not start unless he is injured in training this week, so expect the Spanish international to start between the sticks.
Ashley Young
Despite being torn apart by Alexis Sanchez and Theo Walcott in Arsenal’s 3-0 victory over Manchester United. Young is the best out of a very poor bunch of replacements for injured left-back Luke Shaw.
With no recognised left-back it is down too Young to stand up and show everyone that he is more than capable of filling the void left by the injured Luke Shaw.
If Young does get the nod yet gain, expect him to operate a lot more defensively out of fear of being exploited yet again.
Chris Smalling
Yet another obvious selection here. The man who faced the end of his Manchester United career after being sent off at the Etihad last season in Manchester United’s defeat to local rivals Manchester City, he has become United’s best defensive player by far this season.
He has arguably been United’s best player in any position so far this season, his new found composure on the ball added with his strength and prowess in the air has turned Smalling into an impressive centre-back.
It will be key for United’s chances of success that he makes sure he protects Daley Blind from the aerial threat of Romelu Lukaku.
Daley Blind
With Marcos Rojo reportedly on the verge of leaving Manchester United due to his supposed explosive fallout with manager Louis van Gaal, Blind is the only choice left for the centre back position.
He has played here all season so far and has turned in a mixed performance, some games he seems calm and composed and barely puts a foot wrong. Other times he is exploited massively and stands out as being not a genuine centre back.
However what can’t be doubted is the fact that Daley Blind is an extremely versatile and talented player. He has slotted in the centre back role a lot better than most centre midfielders would, and if given time it would not be a shock to see him improve in a fairly decent centre-half. Look for Blind to lean on Smalling for support against Lukaku.
Matteo Darmain
Italian right-back Matteo Darmian completes the Manchester United back four.
Darmian, who joined Manchester United this summer from Tornio, has been consistently impressive at the right back role. Ever since his debut against Tottenham in the season’s opening fixture, United fans have collectively sighed in relief that they now have a genuine good right-back.
Last year saw Antonio Valencia take up the mantel at starting right back and it led to a lot of defensive mistakes from the Ecuadorian winger. Now that United have found a genuinely good starting right back, the fans can be happy that they will not be exploited down the right-hand side ever game for now on.
Michael Carrick
A man who has been a regular for Manchester United ever since he joined from Tottenham Hotspur, the veteran midfielder is likely to start against Everton.
While he was passed off the park alongside Bastian Schweinsteiger against Arsenal, that was more to do with the fact that Van Gaal making a huge mistake playing the two together. The two ageing midfielders can’t play together as there is not enough athleticism between the two to keep up with a fast-paced opposition midfield.
Morgan Schneiderlin
With Bastian Schweinsteiger likely to be on the bench for the match against Everton that gives Morgan Schneiderlin a chance to prove why it should, in fact, be him who starts every match instead of coming off the bench.
The new signing from Southampton for some reason has not walked into the starting XI as everyone expected him to, he is the exact answer to United’s midfield problems. He is good on the ball but more importantly he is extremely solid defensively and will help protect the back four. It would be a major shock if he was not starting against Everton.
Memphis Depay
The Dutch international and former PSV Eindhoven winger has not had the start to the season that he and fans were expecting and hoping for.
He has only scored once in the league so far this season while he has scored three goals in the Champions League so far, two of them were against a very average Club Brugge side.
With this being said it is obvious that he came to United under a lot of pressure, so he must be given time to shine. Not many 21-year-old wingers come straight into a club the size of Manchester United and dominate the league. The Dutch youngster has to be given time and for that reason he will be picked once again.
Wayne Rooney
Wayne Rooney will take up position behind the main striker against his former club Everton.
While the United man has been struggling to score so far this season, his record of being England’s top goal scorer and nearing in on United’s goal scoring record speaks for itself.
A man who has been in and out of form for the last three years is often put under huge pressure to perform. But dropping back into more on an attacking midfield position, allows the former Evertonian to instigate attacks and pick out teammates.
It also allows for him to be involved all over the pitch which is what he enjoys.
Juan Mata
While being a central attacking midfielder himself, it seems that Juan Mata has played himself into being the right winger for United.
While Mata is by far not the quickest player you will see running down a wing, he is one of the most technically gifted players that United can boast. He has been a catalyst so far this season, with a lot of attacks flowing through the Spaniard's passes.
Look for Mata to try and exploit the space given to him by the defenders attempting to mark Rooney more tightly.
Anthony Martial
The man everyone has been talking about since his big money transfer from AS Monaco.
He has impressed United fans thus far and is impressing on the international stage also, it would be extremely unlikely that Martial wouldn’t start against Everton. A man with incredible pace and ball control, it is likely that Rooney and Mata will be looking to thread passes through to the Frenchmen.
What is just as impressive about Martial is his all-round ability and not just his poaching ability, there were fears that United had replaces Javier Hernandez with a younger replica. However, he is proving himself to be a genuine no.9.
