Manchester United host Barnsley in the third round of the Carabao Cup at Old Trafford tonight.
The Red Devils ended a two-match losing streak by beating Southampton last weekend. They registered a convincing 3-0 Premier League win to return to the top half of the table.
United manager Erik ten Hag will want to sustain the momentum against Barnsley. The club are clear favourites to beat the League One side, but Ten Hag may not change the entire starting XI.
Formation: 4-2-3-1
Predicted Line-up:
Altay Bayindir made just one appearance for the Red Devils last term, with Ten Hag preferring to continue with Andre Onana in goal. The Turkey international will be hoping to start between the sticks.
Diogo Dalot will likely feature at right-back. The Portuguese ace has had a mixed start to the season and could operate in his preferred role against the Tykes tonight.
Matthijs de Ligt and Lisandro Martinez may be rested, with Harry Maguire partnering Jonny Evans in central defence. Harry Amass could be in line for his United debut at left-back.
The game presents the perfect opportunity for Manuel Ugarte to make his full United debut in midfield.
Casemiro was dropped from the starting XI after his dismal display versus Liverpool. The Brazilian showed his quality off the bench on Saturday with a key pass leading to Alejandro Garnacho’s goal.
The 32-year-old is expected to accompany Ugarte in the heart of the midfield.
Garnacho is expected to start on the left wing, having impressed off the bench once more.
The Argentine played second fiddle to Amad Diallo last time around. He should start against Barnsley, with Antony getting a rare chance on the right side of United’s attack.
Antony was due to make a substitute appearance at St Mary’s, but Ten Hag decided to play Casemiro instead after De Ligt suffered cramp late in the game.
Bruno Fernandes is generally a regular starter for United regardless of any competition. We expect the captain to feature from the number 10 role with Joshua Zirkzee up front.
Zirkzee has had a couple of tough outings in which he should have scored. The Dutchman needs to find some form. A goal contribution against Barnsley can boost his morale.
How Man Utd could line up vs Barnsley
