Old Trafford will host a huge North-West derby on Sunday afternoon as Jurgen Klopp's out of form Liverpool visit in-form Manchester United in a match that could potentially have a large effect on the standings at the top of the table.
Despite going 11 unbeaten and currently enjoying a six-match winning run in the Premier League, United still sit in sixth place and will feel like anything other than a win won't be good enough while Liverpool are yet to win a game in 2017 and haven't scored in their last two outings. Despite there being two cup fixtures since the last league match, a 2-0 win against West Ham at the London Stadium, the team is expected to look similar.
Goalkeeper - David De Gea:
David De Gea helped United take a point from Anfield with that magnificent acrobatic save from Phillipe Coutinho's long range looping effort heading straight into the top corner which was a reminder of what he is capable of even though he isn't having his greatest season so far. The Spaniard celebrated his 250th appearance for the Reds against Hull City on Tuesday and will be hoping to build on the 2 clean sheets out of 2 games he's earned so far in 2017 against Klopp's side who are struggling for goals at this moment in time. De Gea has started every league game this season and it would be seriosuly ludicrous to drop him now if he's fit.
Right-back - Antonio Valencia:
When you think about Valencia and Liverpool only that insane sprint in 2012 at Anfield that left Glen Johnson studding Raheem Sterling, his own teammate, comes to mind. The Ecuadorian has been around at United for much longer than many people think and he definitely knows what it means to play in matches like this one. He's killing it in a wing back role under Mourinho so far and has turned into the first choice right-back because of his capability to charge up and down the flank with ease while providing an overlapping attacking option as well as a reliable defensive service as well.
Centre-back - Phil Jones:
There's more chance of the world ending tomorrow than Phil Jones not starting if he's fit enough. With Marcos Rojo a slight doubt and Eric Bailly away on international duty its certain that the in-form Englishman will feature in the heart of the back line. If someone was to tell the United fans in the summer that Jones would be one of the first names on the team sheet for the North-West derby, they'd get laughs. A game of this magnitude has the potential to make or break fan's views on whether Jones deserves to keep his place in the team throughout the Mourinho revolution so it's a huge opportunity for him and it's likely that Chris Smalling will be quaking in his boots on the bench.
Centre-back - Marcos Rojo:
There has been doubts over his fitness after going off against Reading with a hamstring problem and missed the EFL Cup semi-final versus Hull but Jose Mourinho told reporters in his pre-match press conference yesterday he thinks he will be available. It wouldn't be the end of the world because Chris Smalling is a fitting replacement but it'd be a shame to see him miss out because of his terrific form alongside Jones in recent months. One major concern would be the Argentina international's disclipline after two challenges against West Brom and Everton that probably deserved red cards however ones he got away with, tomorrow's game promises to be even more feisty and a great physical battle so it'll definitely have to be addressed by his manager.
Left-back - Daley Blind:
Daley Blind has sort of been in and out of the team this season, many believe because of questions about his pace, but it's pretty clear among the Manchester United fanbase that he's the best option while Luke Shaw is sorting his fitness out. His passing ability and vision makes him a perfect option in the holding midfield position however you simply can't fault Carrick's form and impact this term so he's having to prove his worth from defence where he plays for his national team. The Dutchman scored the opener at Old Trafford last season from a clever free-kick, smashing the ball past Simon Mignolet from outside the box with his left foot so he'll be eager to start.
Centre-midfielder - Michael Carrick:
16 games, 14 wins, 0 losses. That is Manchester United's record when Michael Carrick has featured this season, you can't put into words how important the 35-year-old is to the start of Mourinho's rebuilding job. The way Michael Carrick simply sits in between the midfield and defence like an anchor, intercepting passes and reading the play is priceless and the club have a huge job in the next few years to find a replacement which should be prioritised. The closest thing to Carrick in the squad right now is Blind but Shaw's prolonged absence means the Dutchman should fill in at left-back over Matteo Darmian. One key thing that Michael Carrick has which only a few of the current squad have is experience in derby matches like this so he knows what it means a bit more, only Wayne Rooney and possibly Antonio Valencia can say they've got full experience as well but Zlatan Ibrahimovic but obviously in different countries.
Centre-midfielder - Ander Herrera:
Herrera has turned into one of United's most valued players this season and there are no doubts about his passion for the club so his presence would definitely be a boost for the team tomorrow. His calmness on the ball makes him a much more suitable option in comparison to the ball winning style of his closest competitor Fellaini due to Liverpools capability to quickly press high up the pitch. Ander Herrera scored a penalty at Old Trafford last season to make the score 2-0 in a 3-1 win so he will be hoping to contribute again in a game with arguably a lot more than pride on the line at the end of the day.
Centre-midfielder - Paul Pogba:
Paul Pogba has arguably been the most influential central midfielder in the league this season, despite a rocky start in his return to the club, and he appears to be the real engine of the team patrolling the centre of the park. With the high pressing of Herrera and the calm holding role of Carrick, Pogba has the freedom to play his natural game and run up and down the pitch like the box to box midfielder he is and has told BBC Sport that Mourinho "lets him free." He has been played in more advanced role at times against the bigger teams this season but its likely that Mourinho will feel comfortable at home against a recently poor Liverpool and he'll be needed further back for what is expected to be a highly contested midfield battle.
Right-wing - Henrikh Mkhitaryan:
On the back of winning the offical Premier League Goal of the Month award in December for his outrageous backheel flick against Sunderland as well as earning the top 3 places in the Manchester United monthly podium, Mkhitaryan has cemented a place in the starting XI and is a certain starter tomorrow. The midfield Armenian bagged the winner in another big game, a 1-0 win against strong Tottenham Hotspur and will be hoping to make an influence in an what is an even bigger game. Juan Mata has been playing really well and is normally a key player in big game situations but 'Mkhi' seems undroppable at the moment and Mata has started the last two cup games so Mourinho might be looking to rest him.
Left-wing - Anthony Martial:
He's been in and out of the team this season but Anthony Martial has looked very bright in this recent run of form from United. There are a lot of options at left-wing such as Jesse Lingard, Marcus Rashford, Ashley Young (who suprisingly started against Liverpool at Anfield), and even Wayne Rooney has been played there but the talented Frenchman seems like the better fit in this one. Jose Mourinho could go with Henrikh Mkhitaryan on left wing and Mata on right because of both players contributing greatly to goals but that just shows the fantastic squad depth the Portugese boss has this season in attack.
Striker - Zlatan Ibrahimovic:
It's been confirmed that Zlatan Ibrahimovic is likely to return to the team after missing out on a place in the squad for the first time this season, apart from Arsenal where he was suspended, against Hull with an illness and completed a Man United double by winning the Premier League Player of the Month as well as PFA Fans Player of the Month in December. Knowing the type of personality he is, he'll want to avenge that big miss at Anfield earlier on in the season which meant the game ended 0-0 and with the form he's been in you wouldn't hesitate to bank on it. His 18 goals in all competitions this season is the same that last season's top scorer Anthony Martial got all campaign and 13 of them have come in the league (second with Alexis Sanchez) which is just one behind leader Diego Costa who doesn't look like he'll be scoring any for Chelsea in the near future.