Jose’s early team clues to take on City
THE first hint arrived on Monday night when Marcos Rojo was absent as the United squad arrived at The Lowry.
Three hours before kick-off on Tuesday it emerged Luke Shaw was starting against CSKA Moscow in the Champions League, presumably instead of the rested Ashley Young.
Then the team featured six changes. When United went ahead in the 65th minute, Jose Mourinho hollered Scott McTominay to come off the bench.
Ander Herrera, Antonio Valencia and Romelu Lukaku were all withdrawn within an eight-minute period and instructed to head for the tunnel rather than the dugout.
Mourinho is one of the most transparent coaches when it comes to injury and team news in the build-up to matches.
Even legislating for the absence of Paul Pogba, United’s line-up for Sunday’s derby seems easy to surmise.
The 3-5-2 formation which Mourinho reintroduced at Watford is set to be retained and Herrera’s 66th-minute removal heavily hinted at a start against City.
Herrera dashed on like a firefighter against the Blues at Old Trafford last season and was lauded for a ‘phenomenal’ impact which effectively transformed him from squad member to first-teamer.
The only shred of doubt is Marouane Fellaini’s ‘chance.’
Had he recovered from injury to figure against CSKA then he might have been better poised to supplement Nemanja Matic and Jesse Lingard in midfield.
Fellaini has started six out of eight Premier League derbies and Mourinho has used him in defensive and attacking capacities, while the Belgian showed promise in an axis with Matic in September.
Herrera’s questionable form counts against him, but he is the fitter footballer and Mourinho may need his Battery Bunny running to shadow David Silva and Kevin de Bruyne as they break from midfield.
Fellaini offers the archetypal Plan B off the bench with Zlatan Ibrahimovic if United resort to softening up City at set-pieces. Mourinho’s acknowledgement that Rojo is fatigued, coupled with Phil Jones’ own ‘chance’ of a return could persuade the Portuguese to restore the England international. United’s trio of Rojo, Victor Lindelof and Chris Smalling defended obligingly against Watford as well as Arsenal last week and Rojo at times was uncertain. Alternatively, Rojo could feel rejuvenated after a free week. Otherwise, the team picks itself. David de Gea, Valencia, Young and Smalling are certainties. Mourinho has confirmed Matic will start and Lingard has never been so assured of a starting berth. Lukaku is undroppable with every week Mourinho gushes about his contributions and Marcus Rashford’s fine halfvolley against CSKA is unlikely to oust Anthony Martial. Even the overall squad might be nailed on, with Matteo Darmian and Daley Blind in jeopardy of being omitted along with McTominay, should United welcome back two central midfielders from injury.
Mourinho is one of the most transparent coaches when it comes to injury and team news Samuel Luckhurst