A leading Manchester Derby storyline this weekend is Paul Pogba, and all the noise and distraction that often accompanies him. The Frenchmanwants to move on from the club, but both him and his agent realize that his wages and transfer fee make him plausible for precious few clubs that have only the utmost of resources.
He’s scored in back-to-back games (one start, one substitute appearance) so the question this weekend will be- what kind of role does United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer have in store for him? He’s been only a supersub most of this term.
Manchester Derby FYIs
Kickoff: 5:30 GMT, Sat Dec 12, Old Trafford, TV: NBC (US)
Starting XI Predictions: City
Odds: City -134 United +320 Draw +290
League Form Guide: Manchester City WWLDW United- WWWWL
League position: United 6th, 19 points City 7th, 18 points
Let’s take a look at how Solskjaer could set ’em up for the big rivalry clash.
In goal, maybe club legend Paul Scholes was right about No. 1 David de Gea? Perhaps the Spaniard was a little too aware of his recent fitness issues?
We’ll go with Dean Henderson then. In the back four, it’s pretty straight-forward and self-explanatory, other than on the left flank, where OGS employed three different players in mid-week.
Yes, for the first time ever, United played three left backs in a Champions League contest. The position is still in disarray, but we’ll go with Alex Telles here.
Further up the field, we still expect Pogba to start the match on the bench, and the two forwards who are fitness doubts, Edinson Cavani and Anthony Martial, to not be in the starting lineup either.
Manchester United Starting XI Prediction for Manchester Derby
Henderson; Wan-Bissaka, Lindelof, Maguire, Telles; Matic, Van de Beek, Fred; Fernandes, Rashford, Greenwood
Prediction: City 3, United 2
While both have been showing better domestic form lately, City looks far more clinical and on point lately. Yes, United have overachieved in this derby these past few years, but their home woes this term could rear their ugly head again.
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.