How Manchester United could line up against AS Roma | UEFA Europa League 2020/21
Manchester United are all set for the second leg of their UEFA Champions League semi-final against AS Roma at the Stadio Olimpico in Italy.
Paulo Fonseca's side traveled to Old Trafford last week, where they were ruthlessly taken apart by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's men as they smashed six goals past the Roman club. Despite taking a 2-1 lead before half-time, the Red Devils demolished Roma in the second half by scoring five goals without reply.
The Giallorossi, currently in seventh place in Serie A, head into the fixture in poor form as they were beaten by Claudio Ranieri's Sampdoria by a scoreline of 2-0. Matters have been made worse due to their list of injuries, with the likes of Leonardo Spinazzola, Jordan Veretout, Amadou Diawara, and Pau Lopez all out injured.
Manchester United were scheduled to play in midweek as well, with a high-profile game against Liverpool set for Sunday. However, the game was canceled due to mass protests at Old Trafford. They will look to finish the job they started last week and protect their four-goal lead, with Roma needing at least four goals without reply to get past Manchester United.
Given their healthy advantage over Roma and an upcoming Premier League fixture against Aston Villa, Solskjaer could potentially opt to rest some of his key players for the game. Their game against Liverpool has been slated in for the 13th of May, which would see them play three games in five days.
On that note, here, we take a look at how Manchester United could potentially line up for their clash against AS Roma.
Manchester United Predicted XI
Goalkeeper: David de Gea
Going by Solskjaer's pattern in terms of team selection over the last couple of months, David de Gea can be expected to start in goal for Manchester United. De Gea has been dethroned as the club's number one goalkeeper after over a decade of service, with Dean Henderson being preferred to him in the league.
This dynamic has led to De Gea being used as a designated cup keeper, at least since the resumption of football after the international break. The 30-year-old has played just three times for the Red Devils since the end of February, and all three appearances came in the UEL against Granada (twice) and Roma last week.
Defence
Aaron Wan-Bissaka is expected to start at right-back given the lack of an able deputy for the English full-back. The former Crystal Palace man has started every single one of Manchester United's 13 European games so far, and Solskjaer could continue this trend, albeit possibly bringing him off earlier to afford him some rest.
There could be a change in the heart of defence with Eric Bailly being available for selection. Fresh off his contract extension, the Ivorian could be in line to feature for the first time since the second week of March. With a hectic week of football on the horizon for Manchester United, the Roma game could be a great opportunity to bring Bailly back into the fray.
Should Bailly return to the XI, he could be expected to partner captain Harry Maguire in defence, as opposed to Victor Lindelof. Luke Shaw has established himself as one of Solskjaer's undroppable players, and the English full-back could also be afforded some rest. With Alex Telles available for selection, he could potentially come in for Shaw.
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