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Manchester United will square off against rivals Leeds United in a game that could have serious ramifications in the race for the top four.
Manchester United thumped Leeds United 5-1 when the two sides met on the opening day of the 2021-22 Premier League season. Raphael Varane had just walked out to the Theatre of Dreams for the first time. Cristiano Ronaldo joined soon after and it looked like the dawn of a new era at Manchester United at the time.
The Red Devils have slipped and stumbled since but have somehow managed to keep themselves in the race for the top four. After a couple of soul numbing 1-1 draws in games that they should have won comprehensively, Manchester United beat Brighton & Hove Albion in midweek.
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Cristiano Ronaldo and Bruno Fernandes were on target for the Red Devils against Graham Potter's men. Under Ralf Rangnick, Manchester United have created plenty of opportunities and they might not create more against any team other than Leeds United. Bielsa's side's defensive frailties are well documented.
Without further ado, let's take a look at the predicted Manchester United starting XI for the Premier League game against Leeds United.
Manchester United Goalkeeper - David de Gea
David de Gea has been an absolute beast this season in terms of shot-stopping. He produced a brilliant save against Brighton & Hove Albion's Jakub Moder's header. The Spanish international has been producing worldies on a regular basis and it's going to take something special to displace him from the starting lineup.
Right-back - Diogo Dalot
Diogo Dalot has done a decent job at right back in recent weeks. The defensive side of his game has improved but he really needs to whip in more crosses.
Centre-back - Victor Lindelof
Raphael Varane is back from injury but Ralf Rangnick is unlikely to risk him here, especially with a game against Atletico Madrid lined up in midweek. As a result, Lindelof is likely to start here as one of the CBs.
Centre-back - Harry Maguire
Amid all the criticism, Harry Maguire produced a near faultless performance against Brighton & Hove Albion. The Manchester United captain has received a lot flak in recent times and could do with another strong showing here.
Left-back - Luke Shaw
Luke Shaw has combined well with Jadon Sancho down the left flank of late. He needs to do better defensively as he was guilty of playing opposition players onside for goals conceded against Burnley and Southampton.
Manchester United Defensive Midfielder - Scott McTominay
Scott McTominay might not be the most well-rounded defensive midfielder in the Premier League. But he has definitely been one of Manchester United's better players this season. The Scot is the type to never give up and the Red Devils could use more players with a similar mentality.
McTominay has also gotten better at running with the ball but needs to show a lot more positional discipline during defensive transitions. The 25-year-old scored seven goals in the Premier League last season. He has just one this term and would love to add more to his tally.
Speaking to the club's media team a couple of days back, McTominay said:
"Last year I scored seven goals so obviously I want to beat that this year and I want to keep pushing forwards into the box."
Central midfielder - Paul Pogba
What a difference Paul Pogba has made to this Manchester United side since making his return from a hamstring injury. The Red Devils had missed his inventiveness, slick passing, and ball retention abilities dearly.
He has helped Manchester United exercise a lot more control over proceedings in the midfield realms.
When Pogba is on the pitch, Manchester United can carve out openings in the blink of an eye. However, the Frenchman's defensive acumen is rather suspect. He is not very fast and gets beaten far too easily when the Red Devils are defending.
But it's a risk they'd be willing to take just because of how much better they play when Pogba is running things from midfield.
Central midfielder - Bruno Fernandes
Bruno Fernandes has been Manchester United's best player this season. He has created 71 chances in the Premier League this term, seven more than Trent Alexander-Arnold in second. Fernandes is always looking for that killer pass but is also guilty of being wasteful at times.
He has delivered some top notch balls to his forwards in recent weeks but only a handful have been converted. In the game against Brighton & Hove Albion, Ronaldo's poor finishing let Fernandes and United down. The 27-year-old played two lovely crosses into the area but the 37-year-old made a meal of both.
Fernandes scored a hat-trick against Leeds United the last time the two sides met. He will be hoping to make a similar impact at Elland Road on Sunday.
Left-winger - Jadon Sancho
Jadon Sancho is Manchester United's most improved player in the second half of the season. The youngster has grown in confidence and has been exciting to watch every time he gets on the ball. His silky feet and direct running is starting to make him a nightmare to defend against.
Sancho has been getting into dangerous positions and is an intelligent footballer who is capable of making good decisions in the final third. He averages 5.86 progressive carries per 90 minutes under Ralf Rangnick.
Former Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was very vocal about the fact that Sancho was a long-term signing. He also insisted that the player had too much quality to not shine at Old Trafford. Sancho is definitely starting to shine now.
Centre-forward - Cristiano Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo looked like a man on a mission against Brighton & Hove Albion. He had gone six games without a goal heading into the fixture. That was the worst goal drought of his career since his early days at Real Madrid and Ronaldo was desperate to find the back of the net.
He fired Manchester United into the lead with a goal that reminded us of how great a marksman he has been and can be. Ronaldo darted across a couple of opponents before lashing the ball into the corner from outside the area, leaving Robert Sanchez rooted to his spot.
Cavani has been ruled out of Sunday's game as well and there is no doubt that Ronaldo will once again start as the striker for Manchester United.
Right-winger - Marcus Rashford
Marcus Rashford has been nowhere near his best this season. The 24-year-old has turned in one lackluster performance after another in recent weeks and has offered nothing of note. Rashford's place in the side is safe for now but he definitely needs to contribute more.
This could be a great opportunity for him to regain his confidence since Leeds United are notorious for leaving a lot of space behind whenever they foray forward.
