How Man United could line up against Aston Villa in Carabao Cup clash

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Manchester United take on Aston Villa in their penultimate game before the World Cup season breaks as their domestic cup campaign kicks off.

Traditionally a competition used to field and bleed youngsters, Erik ten Hag is expected to go with a mix of experience and youthful exuberance as he seeks revenge against Unai Emery and Villa, after being completely eliminated this weekend has been defeated.

Sportsmail guides you through the team that the Dutchman will probably use at Old Trafford on Thursday evening.

Harry Maguire returns to base against Aston Villa on Thursday

Martin Dubravka – goalkeeper

Dubravka was loaned out for a season by Newcastle United at the end of the summer and was brush-painted by some United fans as indicative of the club’s strong decline.

While they thought the club should have been on the hunt for a new centre-forward or perhaps a new fullback, Richard Arnold and the United hierarchy brought in the ‘keeper’.

He has since been largely forgotten and seemed very happy on the bench as David de Gea has had one of his best starts to the season in recent times.

Martin Dubravka could make his first appearance for Manchester United against Aston Vila

Dubravka was needed after previous understudy Dean Henderson announced he no longer wanted to stay with the club.

Having played a total of zero minutes so far this season, the Carabao Cup is likely to present its only chance this season.

Defense

Diogo Dalot – right back

Dalot, one of United’s best players this season so far, impressed under Ten Hag, who deserves the credit for amassing such achievements from the Portuguese.

His last ball has improved dramatically, while defensively he is trusted enough that Aaron Wan Bissaka has become Manchester’s forgotten man.

Suspended from Fulham’s visit this weekend, it is likely that Dalot will be one of the few first-team regulars the Dutch manager will call on.

Diogo Dalot is likely to take to the field after being suspended for visiting Fulham this weekend

Victor Lindelof – central defender

Lindelof has replaced Varane as Martinez’s partner at the center of defense since the Frenchman was injured against Chelsea last month.

After starting the season on the back pain-ridden physio bed, he has recovered and is beginning to leave his mark on Ten Hag and his team.

Lindelof, a player previously split among United’s supporters, unlike the other three centre-backs, will not be going to the World Cup and as such could face a very busy period after Qatar.

Harry Maguire – central defender

After a difficult start to the season, Maguire was eventually dropped and has struggled to return to Ten Hag’s first team ever since.

A rare start against West Ham just over a week ago produced an encouraging performance, but he was back from the starting line-up to visit San Sebastian and Real Sociedad in the Europa League. He is now seemingly fourth, behind Victor Lindelof, Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez, in the pecking order of central defenders.

In what could prove to be his last appearance before taking the field for an England v Iran in just over a week, Maguire is likely to lead Ten Hag’s squad.

Tyrell Malacia – left back

Malacia started the season on the team and performed well, but has lost his spot to Luke Shaw in recent weeks. He hopes to use the fixture against Villa to reinstate his claim for a first-team berth.

Having become addicted early last month after a poor 45-minute away game at Manchester City, Malacia remained on the bench for the next games in the competition. His return home came in defeat at Villa over the weekend.

One of the more experienced youngsters because of the game.

Tyrell Malacia lost his place in the starting XI to Luke Shaw, but gets a chance to reclaim his claim

midfield

Scott McTominay

The call for Casemiro finally became clear when McTominay lost his place in the starting position to the Brazilian who was signed by Real Madrid.

Another player is hoping to claim his return to the first team but will only do so with a strong performance at Old Trafford, something he has seemed unable to do in recent weeks.

Like Malacia, his last start in the league was just over a month ago against Manchester City. That day increasingly looks like a turning point for this United squad.

Scott McTominay is another who has seen his first team spot go elsewhere, so he will be looking for a strong performance

Without Maguire’s presence, he might have hoped to lead the team out on Thursday night.

Fred

An impressive performance for United this season and one of the few true first-team regulars likely to play against Villa.

Ten Hag seems to have unlocked something in the Brazilian – who was named in the roster for Qatar this week – and he is starting to become a fan favorite at Old Trafford.

His best performance of the season came against Tottenham a few weeks ago, when he scored and generally dominated midfield. He has not started in the competition since then, with Ten Hag choosing Christian Eriksen at the base of the midfield.

Fresh off the back of a call up to Brazil’s World Cup squad, Fred will bid for a strong performance in his penultimate game before heading to Qatar

forward

Facundo Pellistri – right

The young Uruguayan may have hoped for more opportunities when he came from Penarol to United in his native’s top division in 2020.

On loan to Alaves in Spain for the next two seasons, Pellistri was part of several rosters this season – playing the last 11 consecutive games on the bench – but did not play a single minute.

He hopes his berth at Old Trafford will come in the Carabao Cup. With Alejandro Garnacho, a player two years younger than him making an impression on the first team, time seems to be running out for the youngster.

Facundo Pellistri was on the bench for Manchester United’s last 11 games, but didn’t play a minute

Zidane Iqbal – Attacking Midfield

A product of United’s famous youth system, Iqbal has played for the first team on a number of occasions.

He is only 19 years old and made his international debut for Iraq, while he is highly regarded by United supporters.

Like his namesake, he is comfortable all over the team’s central midfield. He will likely play behind Anthony Martial if selected.

Zidane Iqbal (right) is a United supporter’s darling and could compete against Villa

Alejandro Garnacho – left wing

Bruno Fernandes’ comments after Real Sociedad’s draw last week offered some insight into the young Argentine’s struggles early in the season.

“He was good, but he knows we expect a lot from him. He’s still very young. He’s doing very well,” he said BT Sport.

“At the start of the season he wasn’t at his best, in the Tour he didn’t have the best attitude he should have and that’s why he didn’t get his chances until now.

Alejandro Garnacho will try to build on his two strong performances in recent weeks

“Now he gets chances because he trains better, he has a better attitude and he deserves his chances.”

Apparently Garnacho has ramped up his ideas a bit, but he is now having the impact many expected from him at the end of last season. There have been two consecutive starts, with the first scoring his first senior goal for the club, and he is likely to score his third against Villa.

attacker

Anthony Martial

Returning to full fitness Martial will likely be pitted against Villa as Ten Hag tries to build him up.

After a solid preparation in which he looked somewhat back on his youthful best, he was plagued by injuries, forcing Ten Hag to rethink his attacking plans.

Martial has suffered from a number of ailments this season. A hamstring kept him absent for the first two games against Brighton and Brentford before returning against Liverpool.

Erik ten Hag is counting on Anthony Martial to build up some fitness for the period after the World Cup

An Achilles problem kept him out for five more games before returning for the trip to City. After scoring twice there and United looking much better when he was introduced, he started the next game at Everton but had to come out after half an hour. He returned to Villa over the weekend.

His return will likely be a boost in how Ten Hag wants his sides to play: with a quick wit that is quick on the ball in transition, while without that up front they work hard to win the ball back.

Sportsmail’s predicted line-up for Manchester United for their game against Aston Villa

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