Aston Villa vs Manchester United lineups: This is the Utd team we expect to see
Manchester United travel to the second city to face Aston Villa in the Premier League on Sunday afternoon.
Erik ten Hag has steered United to three successive shut-outs across all competitions for the second time this season already. The Red Devils didn't keep consecutive clean sheets across the entirety of the previous campaign.
Here's the XI Ten Hag may deploy to oversee the club's longest run without conceding since March 2021.
Man Utd predicted lineup vs Aston Villa (4-2-3-1)
GK: David De Gea - Manchester United's established number one has saved the last 15 shots from open play that have flown on target.
RB: Diogo Dalot - The practically ever-present Portuguese fullback has delivered more crosses into the penalty area than the rest of his teammates combined this season (ten).
CB: Harry Maguire - The club captain was booed by his own fans during a pre-season friendly with Aston Villa back in July.
CB: Lisandro Martinez - Manchester United's tenacious and technical centre-back has bypassed 1,103 players with his passes this season, in excess of 200 more than any other teammate (per Opta).
LB: Luke Shaw - With five yellow cards on his rap sheet, Shaw has been booked against Villa more than any other club in his career. Ironically, he missed last season's trip to Villa Park through suspension.
CM: Casemiro - The Brazilian is averaging twice as many tackles (4.6 per 90) as any other Manchester United midfielder.
CM: Fred - The best advice of Fred's life - by his own reckoning - was given to him by his late Internacional coach Fernandao: "Never lose this desire to play football." Fred can be faulted for many things but a lack of desire isn't one of them.
AM: Christian Eriksen - With Bruno Fernandes suspended, Eriksen may be shifted into a more attacking midfield role - though not as attacking as the false nine position in which he bizarrely began the campaign.
RW: Anthony Elanga - No outfield player made more appearances for United under Ralf Rangnick than Elanga (26). Outings have been harder to come by under his successor but absences may force Ten Hag's hand this weekend.
ST: Cristiano Ronaldo - On his first trip to Villa Park all the way back in 2004 (before his teammate Alejandro Garnacho was born) Ronaldo scored and received his first career red card.
LW: Marcus Rashford - The latest player to accrue 100 club goals for United has won five of his six career meetings with Aston Villa, drawing the other.