Manchester United have been struck with an injury crisis ahead of Wednesday night’s visit to Crystal Palace, with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer missing nine first-team players.
The physical demands of the high-intensity attacking football Solskjaer has restored to Old Trafford seems to have caught up with his players.
A number are suffering muscle injuries, while others have picked up knocks ahead of the trip to Selhurst Park as the Norwegian aims to preserve his unbeaten domestic start to life as United’s interim manager.
Indeed, United are so depleted that Solskjaer will call up academy prospects Tahith Chong, James Garner and Angel Gomes into the squad.
We take a look at how United could line up for their visit to the capital on Wednesday.
Defense
United find themselves without three defensive players, with Phil Jones ill, Antonio Valencia sidelined with a calf muscle strain and Matteo Darmian ruled out with a knock.
Despite this, they shouldn’t be too depleted in this area with Chris Smalling and Victor Lindelof pretty much the first-choice central defensive partnership at the moment.
They’ll line up in front of goalkeeper David de Gea with Luke Shaw on the left and Ashley Young on the right.
United will also likely have the back-up of Diogo Dalot, Eric Bailly and Marcos Rojo on the bench so should be covered defensively.
It’s in the midfield area that United are most depleted. Nemanja Matic, who had been pretty much an ever-present under Solskjaer, picked up a muscle strain ahead of the Liverpool game and looks set for a few weeks out.
Then during the match, Juan Mata and Ander Herrera both pulled their hamstrings during the opening half.
Mata is scheduled to return for the match with Wolves in the FA Cup quarter-finals on March 16, but Herrera may not come back until their Premier League fixture against Watford on March 30.
On Sunday, Solskjaer introduced Jesse Lingard for Mata but the England star was then himself forced off with a recurrence of a hamstring injury he’d suffered 12 days earlier against Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League.
Scott McTominay replaced Matic in the starting line-up on Sunday and performed well as a shield for the back line. The 22-year-old has good experience from last season so is likely to start.
Paul Pogba has been in sensational form under Solskjaer, scoring nine times and contributing six assists, and so he could slot in on the left-hand side of the midfield three.
Because of the sheer lack of alternatives, Solskjaer will probably have to turn to Fred to fill the other midfield position.
The Brazilian cost United £52million when signed from Shakhtar Donetsk last summer but he has made little impression and has completed just 64 minutes of league action since Solskjaer came in.
Andreas Pereira, who came on against Liverpool, is the obvious choice to play on the right-side of the attack.
The Brazilian has found opportunities few and far between given the depth of United’s attacking talent but, like Sanchez, there’s no time like the present to impress.
A maverick option would be for Solskjaer to start the 19-year-old Dutchman Tahith Chong on that side.
