Potential Lineups: FC Astana vs Manchester United
Reuters/Jason Cairnduff
Manchester United travel to Kazakhstan to take on Astana in the Europa League. The journey will be a tiring and grueling one for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and company, leading to a youthful side making the cut for the game.
United have already qualified for the knockout stages of the competition and will be looking to top the group whereas Astana is eager for their first points in the competition having lost every single game so far.
Astana
The home side has already been eliminated from the group and will have nothing but pride to play for in front of their fans.
Manager Roman Hrygorchuk will be limited only by an injury to Zarko Tomasevic who may still recover in time to play a role in the game.
Despite leading their domestic table, Astana has been decimated in Europe although the Old Trafford fixture was quite a close one. The plastic pitch will have to favor goals from Marin Tomasov and Dorin Rotariu in order for a win to be mustered.
Goalkeeper: Eric
Defenders: Rukavina, Postnikov, Logvinenko, Shomko
Midfielders: Tomasov, Pertsukh, Maewski, Beysebekov
Forwards: Khizhnichen, Rotariu
Formation: 4-4-2
Manchester United
Solskjaer was blatant in his choice of taking a youthful squad to the low temperature of the away fixture, with around 7 debuts likely to be made.
The Norwegian has confirmed that goalkeeper Lee Grant and academy graduates Ethan Laird, Dishon Bernard, and Dylan Levitt will all start the game ensuring their debuts. The rest may come from the bench with the likes of Max Taylor, Teden Mengi, Ethan Galbraith, Arnau Puigmal, Largie Ramazani, and D’Mani Bughail-Mellor composing fresh names who could make a mark.
Mason Greenwood, Angel Gomes, Tahith Chong, and James Garner are amongst the regular graduates who could be featured with the likes of Jesse Lingard and Luke Shaw who are the only regular senior players.
Goalkeeper: Grant
Defenders: Laird, Tuanzebe, Bernard, Shaw
Midfielders: Garner, Levitt
Forwards: Chong, Lingard, Gomes; Greenwood
Formation: 4-2-3-1