Confirmed: Ole's Carabao Cup team
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has made 11 changes to his Manchester United side for our Carabao Cup third round tie against West Ham at Old Trafford.
The boss has changed an entire team from the side that beat the Hammers at their London Stadium last Sunday 2-1 in the Premier League.
It means first starts of the season for Dean Henderson, Diogo Dalot, Eric Bailly, Alex Telles, Juan Mata and our match-winning goalscorer in London, Jesse Lingard.
There is a welcome back to the first-team squad for Phil Jones, who is on the bench.
Solskjaer explains his side
The manager reveals why he altered his entire XI for tonight's rematch with West Ham...
Jones hasn’t made a competitive first team appearance since scoring in an Emirates FA Cup tie against Tranmere Rovers in January 2020.
The defender has been battling a persistent knee injury that eventually required surgery and long term rehabilitation.
The boss has admitted that making so many changes is a gamble but explains that needs must and he’d decided on his probable line up for tonight even before our win at West Ham on Sunday.
“We decided more or less before Sunday because we need more players to get match fitness, minutes. Some of these, Alex (Telles) for example is back, just been training for a week and hasn’t played at all,” said Solskjaer.
“It’s going to be a long season so we need everyone. If you are going to be successful at the end you need the whole squad. And you need the squad minutes to be shared out.
“It is always a bit of a risk when you make so many changes, but we have played a couple of behind closed doors games in the international breaks and the team has looked a little bit like this so hopefully they will find a rhythm and find the tempo in the passing and create chances."
There is no place in the 18 on duty for in-form returning hero Cristiano Ronaldo. “Yes, you know, he’s come in and made a difference already but as I said it is going to be a long season. Of course, he wants to play as much as possible but not every match is possible. "
West Ham boss David Moyes has also made wholesale changes following the defeat to United four days ago. Only Jarrod Bowen remains in his XI from Sunday.
United line up: Henderson; Telles, Lindelof, Bailly, Dalot; Matic (C), Van De Beek; Sancho, Mata, Lingard; Martial.
Subs: Heaton, Jones, Wan-Bissaka, McTominay, Elanga, Fernandes, Greenwood.
West Ham: Areola, Yarmolenko, Lanzini, Dawson, Noble (C), Bowen, Diop, Fredericks, Masuaku, Johnson, Kral.
Subs: Randolph, Zouma, Coufal, Fornals, Vlasic, Ogbonna, Benrahma