Man United beat Man City in the Premier League on Sunday and with this new-found confidence, the Red Devils now head into the Europa League.
United will take on AC Milan in the first leg of the Round of 16 this midweek and Solskjaer will be really eager to wrap the two-legged tie on Thursday itself(since Milan will be without some key players this week). The English side are undefeated in 23 of their last 25 matches in the Europa League and their superior form should be enough to see this through.
A win might not be so comfortable to come by since Ole himself has a few absentees for this game and because they face West Ham just a few days later, the Man United boss will not be too keen to push the initiative.
Manchester United obviously go into this game as the favourites but the Premier League side have not been able to maintain their momentum over the past couple of weeks so it will not be a total surprise if Milan head back home with one or maybe two crucial away goals.
Man United team news vs AC Milan:
David De Gea has gone back to Spain so Dean Henderson is now the undisputed No 1 for Man United and will start vs AC Milan.
Eric Bailly should come back into the side, replacing Victor Lindelof in central defence while Maguire and Wan-Bissaka keep their place. Luke Shaw almost missed the Man City game due to an injury which is why the England international could be rested in midweek, in which case Alex Telles will come into the side.
Fred and McTominay have paired up really well in central midfield and with Paul Pogba still out injured, the duo will take the field on Thursday as well.
Bruno Fernandes scored a penalty against City on Sunday and his selection is a no-brainer. Donny van de Beek remains a doubt for the Milan game and is likely to miss out.
Marcus Rashford picked up an injury on Sunday but thankfully he has not suffered ankle ligament damage. This Thursday’s game might come too early for him as Ole will not want to risk using him.
If Rashford is out then Dan James will move into the right-hand side as Mason Greenwood operates on the left.
Anthony Martial’s fine performance vs Manchester City should be enough for him to retain his place in the starting line-up. Also, Edinson Cavani is still out injured and might not be available for selection on Thursday.
Man United’s predicted XI vs Milan:
Predicted Line-up: Dean Henderson; Maguire, Bailly, Telles/Shaw, Wan-Bissaka; Fred, McTominay, Fernandes; Dan James, Mason Greenwood, Martial.
Injury updates via Premier Injuries.
