Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

United side announced for Villa encounter

Sunday 09 May 2021 13:05

Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has selected his side to take on Aston Villa in the Premier League.

The Reds have a penultimate away fixture of the domestic campaign to successfully negotiate in order to extend our unbeaten league run on the road throughout 2020/21.

After beating the Villans 2-1 in the corresponding fixture at Old Trafford, United are looking to complete the double over Dean Smith's men. while dealing with a ridiculously congested schedule.

We are unbeaten in our last 21 visits to Villa Park, scene of some famous victories in the past.

All our Premier League goals against Villa Video

All our Premier League goals against Villa

From Hughes to Fernandes: Take 25 minutes to enjoy every one of our Premier League strikes past Villa...

Dean Henderson comes back in goal after David De Gea performed well in the 3-2 second-leg defeat at Roma in the Europa League that still sealed our place in the final against Villarreal later this month. Edinson Cavani, who scored both our goals at the Stadio Olimpico, is on the bench.

Fred and Scott McTominay form the base of the midfield again, while Mason Greenwood is likely to start in attack with Marcus Rashford on the right, even though things could be fluid in an attacking sense. 

There is still no Jack Grealish for Villa, even though the talented England midfielder is close to a comeback from injury.

Explaining his starting XI before the game, Ole told club media: "We've got five important games in the league [to] build momentum, build confidence and get as many points as we can."

"We managed to make a few changes during the game [against Roma], we took the full-backs off, Paul came off early, so [there are] loads of fresh legs, fresh minds, players who want to show to me that they want to play more games and especially the last one of course!

I've always enjoyed it down here as a player and a coach, obviously that is because the atmosphere here is always nice. Obviously now is a different prospect but we play against a team who play football.

"They challenge you, they play the ball forward. [Ollie] Watkins up there and the two wingers, [Bertrand] Traore and [Anwar] El Ghazi, and [Ross] Barkley and [John] McGinn. They have loads of energy so we know we have to defend but maybe there will be space for us. Hopefully we can play well with the ball so they have to drop deep, that's how we want to play the game."

Get in the mood for Villa v United Video

Get in the mood for Villa v United

MUTV's coverage of our 104th trip to the much-loved Villa Park begins at 13:00 BST...

THE TEAMS

Aston Villa: Martinez; Cash, Konsa, Mings, Targett; Luiz, McGinn, Traore, Barkley, El Ghazi; Watkins.

Subs: 
Heaton, Hause, Elmohamedy, Nakamba, Ramsey, Philogene-Bidace,  Chukwuemeka, Davis, Wesley.

United: Henderson; Wan-Bissaka, Lindelof, Maguire (c), Shaw; Fred, McTominay; Rashford, Fernandes, Pogba; Greenwood.

Subs: De Gea, Bailly, Telles, Tuanzebe, Williams, Mata, Matic, van de Beek, Cavani.

Recommended: