Five things we want from Leicester City vs. Manchester United

Manchester United travel to Leicester City in the Premier League on Saturday. United pick up where they left off before the international break in patchy shape at best, but face a Leicester side without a win in the league since August.

Harry Maguire remains absent for the match against his former club having been sidelined since September and is still recovering from injury. Raphaël Varane compounded matters for United in central defence last weekend coming off in the first half of France’s Nations League final victory over Spain with a groin injury and is expected to be out for a few weeks too.

United will need to rely again on their forward players, forget about Liverpool looming in the league next weekend and take the pressure off prior with wins against Leicester and then Atalanta. November isn’t getting any easier for Ole Gunnar Solskjær should United continue to falter.

David de Gea
Will be in his element behind a makeshift Victor Lindelöf and Eric Bailly pairing, the sick and twisted Spaniard.

Luke Shaw
Needs to show significant improvement since the closed-doors spring and summer love-in. Harsh, maybe, but Luke Shaw’s form has fallen off a cliff, even with United’s insistence of making something happen in attack when at a loss via the left-back.

Scott McTominay
With Fred and Edinson Cavani’s international commitments, they’ll be earmarked for Atalanta in the Champions League on Wednesday. Nemanja Matić, though, should be rested enough to give a fully-charged defensive role in midfield for whomever Solskjær elects to partner Matić with. Scotland’s injury-time saviour, Scott McTominay, may get the nod at the expense of Paul Pogba but, if McTominay doesn’t start, the Frenchman has no excuses with Matić screening if Pogba provides another lacklustre display for United in central midfield.

Jadon Sancho

Found some encouraging form with England, Jadon Sancho, and will hopefully start over Pogba on United’s left should Solskjær even consider it with Marcus Rashford back and now likely to be among the substitutes on Saturday.

Mason Greenwood
If United are to reap the benefits of Mason Greenwood waiting for his chance with England, and the break he’s afforded, Greenwood must not just feature for the Reds but be amongst the goals too. Greenwood will be the freshest of United’s forwards at the weekend and, beyond, the 20-year-old’s sharpness can only be blunted by being unduly left out of the team.

Solskjær has Anthony Martial, Jesse Lingard, Rashford, Sancho, and occasionally Cristiano Ronaldo, queued up on the left – some of that heat is coming Greenwood’s way soon.