Manchester United welcome Fulham to Old Trafford on Sunday in the Premier League.
Man Utd predicted lineup vs Fulham
Man Utd (4-2-3-1): Lammens; Dalot, Maguire, Martinez, Shaw; Casemiro, Mainoo; Diallo, Fernandes, Cunha; Mbeumo
The game kicks off at 2:00pm and will be broadcast live on Sky Sports Main Event.
Man Utd team news vs Fulham
Michael Carrick would likely have named the same XI that started wins over Manchester City and Arsenal were it not for injury to Patrick Dorgu. The Dane is a long-term absentee owing to a thigh problem sustained against the Gunners.
Matheus Cunha, who scored the winner off the bench at the Emirates last week, should come into the side. Alternatively, Carrick could start Benjamin Sesko up front and move Bryan Mbeumo to the left
Joshua Zirkzee is also back in training, though is unlikely to feature on Sunday afternoon.
Centre-back Matthijs de Ligt continues to miss out owing to a back problem but otherwise; United are at full strength.
How do United manage Dorgu absence?
When it was confirmed that Patrick Dorgu would be set for a substantial spell on the sidelines with a thigh problem, United fans let out a collective groan.
“Pat unfortunately is going to be out for a period of time,” Michael Carrick said on Friday. “Disappointing for all of us and Pat, he is in such a good place but unfortunately it is part of football and something you have got to work through and get him back as soon as we can.”
The Dane had put in performances akin to Gareth Bale in Carrick’s opening two games back at the Old Trafford helm. Indeed, he bagged the decisive second in the Manchester Derby masterclass. It was his stunning second half strike that fired United ahead at the Emirates last weekend.
It’s not just Dorgu’s goals that have caught the eye. The defensive work has been key down United’s left, and the club will miss this out-of-possession work in the 21-year-old’s absence.
Cunha may have struck a sumptuous winner at the Emirates last week, yet the Brazilian doesn’t offer the same defensive resolve as his United teammate.
It’s going to be a real test of Carrick’s management skills to see how United deal with this Dorgu blow. He’s slowly risen to a key player for United in recent months. Just when it seemed as though they’d struck the right chord to boost their top-four hopes, injury has again set United back.
How far back, however, remains to be seen. It’s now down to Carrick to ensure Dorgu’s absence isn’t keenly felt.
