United team announced for Luton tie
Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has named his side for the Carabao Cup third-round tie at Luton Town, making 10 changes to the starting XI.
Dean Henderson makes his senior debut for the club after joining as a schoolboy and proving his qualities during a series of loan spells, most recently with Sheffield United.
The only member of the backline retained from the defeat to Crystal Palace is captain Harry Maguire, with Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Brandon Williams filling the full-back slots and Eric Bailly partnering the skipper.
Nemanja Matic and Fred form the midfield two, with Juan Mata, recent recruit Donny van de Beek and Jesse Lingard starting further forward. It represents a maiden start for Dutchman van de Beek who, of course, scored on his debut at the weekend.
Odion Ighalo leads the line in attack. There is plenty of firepower on the bench, including strikers Mason Greenwood and Marcus Rashford.
"We need to respond and these players, some of them need game-time," said Ole. “They’ve not played since almost before lockdown. They played against Norwich, a few of these have played in Europe, but [they've] not been together for long, so we need these minutes.
“[I want a] good attitude, play on the front foot, show the type of club we want to be be. I want to see more of a Man United identity and that’s the main thing. The result will take care of itself, if you deserve it. You need to put a performance in.”
The winners of the tie, which will be decided by a penalty shoot-out if the scores are level, face Preston North End or Brighton & Hove Albion away in the fourth round, some time next week.
Hosts Luton are in good form, having won all of their four games this term, two in the Championship and two in the Carabao Cup, and will be out to give the Reds a stern test.
Ryan Tunnicliffe, an FA Youth Cup winner with United, starts on the left-hand side of midfield against his old club.
United: Henderson; Wan-Bissaka, Bailly, Maguire (c), Williams; Matic, Fred; Mata, van de Beek, Lingard; Ighalo.
Substitutes: Grant, Dalot, Mengi, Fernandes, James, Greenwood, Rashford.
Luton: Shea; Kioso, Lockyer, Bradley (c), Norrington-Davies; Clark, Moncur, Tunnicliffe; Hylton, Shinnie, LuaLua.
Substitutes: Sluga, Cranie, Pearson, Cornick, Lee, Ruddock-Mpanzu, Collins.
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