Ahead of Manchester United’s meeting with Crystal Palace on Wednesday night at Selhurst Park, I think it would be wise for Erik ten Hag to look at his squad options as his team have a number of games to navigate over the coming weeks.
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With United playing Arsenal at the Emirates on Sunday, I think the United manager should rest both Raphael Varane and Tyrell Malacia for the game against Crystal Palace because they will be needed for the game against the Gunners. Despite, United having a lot of cover in defence with Luke Shaw showing his versatility by performing well at centre-back in recent weeks, I would consider starting the England man at left-back, because this is a game where United are expected to have a lot of the ball.
Therefore, with that in mind, I would consider the centre-back pairing of Harry Maguire and Lisandro Martinez for the game against the Eagles, as with Palace not enjoying their best moments of late, I would assume that they will sit back and try make life difficult for ten Hag’s men, so therefore, Maguire’s and Martinez’s passing can be useful in a game like this.
With both Fred and Casemiro walking a tightrope as if they pick up a yellow card at Selhurst Park tomorrow night, then they will miss the game against Mikel Arteta’s side, and this is something that the pair and United will be desperate to avoid. Even though Casemiro is on the risk of a suspension, I would start him against Patrick Viera’s men because it is an extremely important game as if United win then they will leapfrog City and open up an eight point gap over Tottenham Hotspur in fifth. However, if United are comfortable in the game, then I would take Casemiro off because United need him for the Arsenal game.
It would not surprise me if the United manager opted to play a 4-2-3-1 formation against the Eagles, with might mean that Fred makes way for a wide player, which could potentially be Alejandro Garnacho, who provided an excellent assist for Marcus Rashford to score the winner in the 189th Manchester derby at the weekend.
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— Manchester United (@ManUtd) January 15, 2023
With ten Hag having good options at his disposal, I would look to consider giving Garnacho a start, but I would be more than happy to see him come off the bench because his directness against tired defenders can give United a huge advantage.