In looking at how Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer could set up his team on Boxing Day, when they travel to Leicester City, the focus will be on squad rotation. This will be the first of four games over a stretch of just 10 days, so just about everybody will get some major minutes coming up here.
They’ll need all hands on deck to get through this stretch, but at least they’re in a much better boat than most others, given how they only have two fitness concerns.
Manchester United at Leicester City FYIs
Kick off: 12:30pm GMT, Boxing Day, Dec. 26
Team news for both sides: go here
TV (US): NBCSN, Stream: NBCSports.com
Odds: Leicester City (+185), Manchester United (+135) Draw (+245)
Looking at the side that won at Everton FC 2-0 yesterday, the fourth quarterfinal round win of any tournament in the Ole Gunnar Solskjaer era, here are the changes we think we might see versus Leicester City.
Luke Shaw in for Alex Telles, David de Gea for Dean Henderson and Anthony Martial for Donny van De Beek. Edinson Cavani out while Marcus Rashford comes back in. Also, Victor Lindelof, who got a badly needed night off, will return in place of Eric Bailly.
Manchester United Starting XI Prediction (4-2-3-1) at Leicester City: De Gea, Tuanzebe, Lindelof, Maguire, Shaw, Matic, Pogba, Fernandes, Greenwood, Martial, Rashford
Leicester City 1, Manchester United 1
This certainly seems like a split the spoils kind of match, as we’ll have two sides that look really strong right now.
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank, partnered with News Now. Banks, the author of “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry,” has regularly appeared in WGN, Sports Illustrated, Chicago Tribune and SB Nation. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram.