Enzo Maresca and Ruben Amorim are two second-year coaches with very different stakes on their Saturday match-up as the Premier League returns to Old Trafford.
Both teams, of course, are seeking three points for their Premier League table hopes, but the similarities stop there.
MORE — Man United vs Chelsea preview, stream info, prediction
In Maresca’s case, he wants Chelsea to rebound from a midweek Champions League loss to Bayern Munich and get back in the PL win column following a 2-2 draw at Brentford in Week 4.
For Amorim, well, he needs results in a big way if he wants to stay in the Manchester United job. The Red Devils are in a historically-bad start to their season, and their last three games were an upset cup loss to League Two side Grimsby Town, a super-slim late home win over Burnley in the Premier League, and a blowout derby loss at Manchester City.
Both men need their best and brightest to deliver the goods on Saturday at Old Trafford. So who will they select to hit the Week 5 pitch?
Lammers
Yoro — De Ligt — Shaw
Mazraoui — Casemiro — Fernandes — Dorgu
Mbeumo — Mount (Amad)
Cunha (Sesko)
There’s no question that Matheus Cunha and Mason Mount would be preferred by Amorim, if healthy. If both are able to start, the only question is where Mount or Cunha would be used as a center forward of sorts. Cunha will certainly start if healthy, but a good week of training could see Benjamin Sesko up top over Mount. Diogo Dalot is also coming back from injury and could slot into the fullback spot. We’re assuming Senne Lammers will get his Man United debut ahead of Altay Bayindir, but Amorim has proven stubborn about his team. It would be neat if Amorim went with Cunha atop of Mbeumo and Fernandes, slotting Kobbie Mainoo or Manuel Ugarte next to Casemiro, but we’ve been watching him do this thing for a bit now.
OUT: Lisandro Martinez (knee) | QUESTIONABLE: Matheus Cunha (muscular — MORE), Mason Mount (undisclosed), Diogo Dalot (muscular)
Sanchez
Gato — Fofana — Chalobah — Cucurella
Caicedo — Fernandez
Neto — Palmer — Garnacho
Joao Pedro
The question here is whether Maresca will go back to some of the players who started against Brentford due to the minutes put on players in Germany. Alejandro Garnacho could well get his first Chelsea start and it would be a juicy spot given his former club is the opponent. But it might be more about necessary rotation on account of the miles put on Pedro Neto and returning Cole Palmer over the last week. Jamie Gittens, Facundo Buonanotte, and Estevao Willian would also be in the mix. Gittens could slot in ahead of Neto or Garnacho here.
OUT: Liam Delap (thigh), Dario Essugo (thigh), Romeo Lavia (undisclosed), Levi Colwill (torn ACL – MORE), Benoit Badiashile (knock), Mykhailo Mudryk (suspension)
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Manchester United vs Chelsea predicted lineups, team news, analysis – NBC Sports
