Manchester United will play Liverpool in a pre-season friendly on Tuesday afternoon....CONTINUE READING THE FULL ARTICLE>>>
The fixture will be United’s first pre-season match this summer and Erik ten Hag’s first in charge of the club since he was appointed on a three-year deal with the option of an additional year. The match against Liverpool will be played in Bangkok, Thailand.
Wholesale changes are to be expected, given this is the first pre-season friendly of the summer and the heat and humidity in Bangkok will prove a challenge fitness wise, so it will probably be two different teams for each half.
Ten Hag might look to start more of the players who have had two weeks in training, so while he might pick something close to his strongest team it might mean starts for the likes of Van de Beek.
Cristiano Ronaldo is not on United’s tour due to family reasons, but club sources have insisted Ten Hag isn’t being sidetracked by the 37-year-old’s absence from pre-season. Ronaldo rocked United this month after revealing his desire to leave.
With Ronaldo absent, United’s only centre-forward is Anthony Martial – who has spent more of his United career on the wing – in their 31-man tour squad.
Raphael Varane and Harry Maguire did not train with the squad at the stadium yesterday evening, so if they are not available then it has to be Victor Lindelof and Eric Bailly at centre-back. Tyrell Malacia comes in for the sake of variety as he is an actual signing.
Donny van de Beek and Fred is never a long-term United midfield but it will have to do for a friendly. Facundo Pellistri seems more prepared for the right-sided slot than Amad and Jadon Sancho played his best football for United on the left.
Marcus Rashford is likelier to stay at United longer than Anthony Martial and has performed more recently, although that was almost two years ago.
So, is how our predicted line up would look like.
