Team news for Villarreal encounter
Michael Carrick will select the Manchester United team for the crucial Champions League clash against Villarreal on Tuesday evening.
The Reds must respond to a turbulent weekend as the 4-1 defeat to Watford led to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer being replaced as manager, with Carrick entrusted with caretaker duties and helping the side maintain top spot in Group F of the Champions League.
Victory in Spain would ensure qualification for the knockout stages next year and provide a timely boost ahead of Sunday's assignment at Premier League leaders Chelsea.
Luke Shaw left the field with concussion at Vicarage Road, while strikers Edinson Cavani and Mason Greenwood were also absent for the defeat to the Hornets. France duo Raphael Varane and Paul Pogba are still sidelined as Carrick will have plenty to ponder regarding his line-up.
There is the possibility he could opt to play three central defenders, with Harry Maguire available despite the domestic ban that causes him to miss the weekend trip to Chelsea. In midfield, Donny van de Beek did well as a second-half substitute and, of course, scored against Watford to promote his claims.
"Obviously, I’ve worked closely with Ole for a long time now," said Carrick, when asked about his plan at his press conference previewing the game. "We do have very similar beliefs. We did as players and certainly do as coach and manager.
"Of course, I've got my own personality to Ole but it's very similar and why we worked together so long and worked together well for a period of time. You have to wait and see, I'm not giving too much away what my plans are but I'm very clear in my own mind on what we want to do, how we want to play and how we want to go about it. I'm looking forward to seeing it out on the pitch."
VILLARREAL'S TEAM NEWS
Juan Foyth returned from a hamstring injury in the 1-1 draw at Celta Vigo on Saturday, with Alberto Moreno scoring the goal. Gerard Moreno has still not featured since suffering a similar problem in the 2-1 defeat to Athletic Club last month.
Serge Aurier, the former Tottenham man and Ivory Coast defensive colleague of Eric Bailly's, has joined the Yellow Submarine until the end of the season but is ineligible for the group stages of the Champions League.
There are no suspension concerns for Unai Emery's men, who have drawn half of their 18 games this term, in all competitions, winning five and losing four, but Paco Alcacer, Sergio Asenjo, Etienne Capoue and Arnaut Danjuma may need to prove their fitness.