Europa League: How Man United could line up vs AC Milan without 6 key players

Europa League: How Man United could line up vs AC Milan without 6 key players

- Manchester United vs AC Milan will go down at the Old Trafford on Thursday night

- Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is facing a major squad selection headache ahead of the encounter

- Anthony Martial is expected to lead the attack-line in the absence of Marcus Rashford and Edinson Cavani

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer could miss the services of up to six key players when Man United take on AC Milan in the first leg of their last 16 Europa League clash.

United have enjoyed an impressive start to their Europa League campaign after their elimination from the Champions League, beating Real Sociedad in the round of 32 to book a date with Milan.

However, they face a daunting task to get past the Serie A side when they face them on Thursday night, March 11, at Old Trafford as they will be without a number of first team players through injuries.

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Europa League: How Man United could line up vs AC Milan without 6 key players
Manchester United vs AC Milan expected to be explosive. Photo: Matthew Peters.
Source: Getty Images

Marcus Rashford and Edinson Cavani headline a long list of United players who are currently on the treatment table and the pair is set to play no role in the Thursday clash.

Goalkeeper David de Gea is also understood to be unavailable as he is still in Spain after he recently became a father.

Others set to miss the home match include Paul Pogba, Juan Mata, Donny van de Beek and longer-term absentee, Phil Jones.

The absence of De Gea will see Dean Henderson once again take charge between the sticks, having also played in both legs against Real Sociedad.

Solskjaer has enough to select from in defence, and could stick with his preferred back four of Luke Shaw, Harry Maguire, Victor Lindelof and Aaron Wan-Bissaka.

In midfield, he is likely to stick with the pair of Scott McTominay and Fred, with Bruno Fernandes playing in the no.10 role.

Despite lack of enough depth in attack, Anthony Martial is sure to lead the line, with Dan James and Mason Greenwood providing support on either flanks of the wings.

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A win over Milan will help the Red Devils take a huge step in qualifying for the quarterfinals as they look to end the season with a silverware.

Possible Man United starting XI vs AC Milan:

Goalkeeper: Dean Henderson

Defenders: Shaw, Maguire, Lindelof, Wan-Bissaka

Midfielders: Fred, McTominay, Fernandes

Forwards: Greenwood, Martial, James

Meanwhile, Legit.ng earlier reported that David de Gea will miss the Red Devils Europa League round of 16 first leg fixture against AC Milan due to personal reasons.

The Spaniard was given permission to travel home and be with his girlfriend Edurne as the couple welcomes their first child named Yanay.

Babajide is a digital publishing expert, an avid sports content thinker, researcher and writer. He is a graduate of Guidance and Counselling, having bagged his B.SC (ED) from the Ekiti State University. He can be reached on Twitter @JideOrevba

Source: Legit.ng

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Babajide Orevba avatar

Babajide Orevba (Sports Editor) Babajide Orevba is a CAF-accredited Nigerian journalist, digital publishing expert, researcher, writer and TV analyst. He has covered several major football tournaments including FIFA World Cup Qualifiers, AFCON, CAF Competitions as well as grassroots competitions within Nigeria. Email: babajide.orevba@corp.legit.ng

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Khadijah Thabit (Copyeditor) Khadijah Thabit is an editor with over 3 years of experience editing and managing contents such as articles, blogs, newsletters and social leads. She has a BA in English and Literary Studies from the University of Ibadan, Nigeria. Khadijah joined Legit.ng in September 2020 as a copyeditor and proofreader for the Human Interest, Current Affairs, Business, Sports and PR desks. As a grammar police, she develops her skills by reading novels and dictionaries. Email: khadeeejathabit@gmail.com