Predicted Man United XI vs Crystal Palace: Marcus Rashford to continue as striker

The pressure is momentarily off Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag as he takes his team to London to face Crystal Palace tomorrow.

10 unanswered goals in two games means that the manager’s job is starting to look a little safer, but anything like the 4-0 defeat in the same fixture at the tail end of last season will surely undo all the good work that has been done.

For that reason, there will be no room for sentiment or rotation when he picks his starting XI, which will give a good indication of what he thinks his best side is right now.

With Luke Shaw, Victor Lindelof, Leny Yoro and Tyrell Malacia all still injured, the defence is likely to be the same one that kept that clean sheet against Southampton.

Andre Onana will be in goal, with Noussair Mazraoui at right back, Diogo Dalot at left back and Matthijs de Ligt and Lisandro Martinez the centre backs.

Kobbie Mainoo will return to the midfield after being rested on Tuesday. The biggest question mark in this predicted XI is who his midfield partner will be. Casemiro has probably cooked his goose, but will Ten Hag think Manuel Ugarte is ready? Or will he continue with Christian Eriksen, who has been superb and scored a brace on Tuesday.

We think Ugarte will get the nod, as three games in eight days is asking a lot of the 32 year old Dane, but it will be a close call.

Captain Bruno Fernandes will also return in the number 10 role, and we think the excellent Amad Diallo must also be brought back into the starting lineup after being rested in midweek.

Mason Mount has been in training and could make the bench but he is not expected to start.

Up front, Rasmus Hojlund has also returned to training but it also seems unlikely that he will play from the off. Joshua Zirkzee is match fit and could get the nod.

However, with Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho also in a rich vein of form, Ten Hag could opt to start with Rashford up top, as he did on Tuesday, with Garnacho on the left wing.

This would leave a pretty strong bench, which could be Bayindir, Maguire, Evans, Casemiro, Eriksen, Mount, Antony, Zirkzee and Hojlund.

Here, then, is our predicted line-up for tomorrow’s 5.30pm kick-off:

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