Confirmed: United's team for Everton cup clash
Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has named his team to face Everton in tonight’s Carabao Cup quarter-final at Goodison Park.
With games coming thick and fast over the festive period, the boss has rotated his squad from Sunday’s victory over Leeds United and has made a total of nine changes.
Among the starters are Edinson Cavani, Donny van de Beek and Alex Telles, all of whom were introduced as substitutes at the weekend.
Harry Maguire and Bruno Fernandes keep their places in the starting line-up, with the skipper playing alongside Eric Bailly in the centre of defence and joined by Axel Tuanzebe and Telles in the back four.
Dean Henderson returns between the sticks and is one of three players in the XI who were picked to face Brighton in the last round, along with Bailly and van de Beek.
Dutch midfielder van de Beek is expected be part of a diamond in the middle of the park, which will include Fernandes, Paul Pogba and Nemanja Matic.
At the sharp end, Cavani will be partnered by Mason Greenwood, while their fellow forwards Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford begin the tie on the bench.
Quizzed on his selection, Ole was clear that keeping players fresh is vital at this time of year. Speaking to Sky Sports at Goodison Park, the manager said: "First of all, it's a hectic schedule. We've got a game - thank you very much - on Saturday at 12:30 so rotation's important.
“I feel it's a team that can go into the game confident,” he added on MUTV.
“We should be able to cause them problems and hopefully be able to cope with the problems they can give us. We know all about their physicality, direct play and set plays with Calvert-Lewin and Richarlison, so I'm hoping we have the players who can perform well against them.”
Despite the heavy workload, the boss confirmed there had been no plan to rest Fernandes from this fixture.
“I had to take him off in the last game [against Leeds], didn't I? I took him off and he wasn't happy. No, Bruno is one of those who recovers very quickly. Then again, if games are won, why not rest him,” said Ole on Sky.
Ole: It's a team that can cause them problems
Solskjaer explains the thinking behind the nine changes he's made for our quarter-final with Everton...
THE TEAMS
Everton: Olsen; Godfrey, Keane, Mina, Coleman (c), Gomes, Doucoure, Sigurdsson, Iwobi, Richarlison, Calvert-Lewin.
Substitutes: Pickford, Kenny, Holgate, Tosun, Bernard, Gordon, Davies.
United: Henderson; Tuanzebe, Bailly, Maguire (c), Telles; Matic, Pogba, van de Beek, Fernandes; Greenwood, Cavani.
Substitutes: Grant, Shaw, Fosu-Mensah, Fred, Lingard, Martial, Rashford.
Kick-off is at 20:00 GMT and you can follow live updates on ManUtd.com and in our Official App.