Man United boss Erik ten Hag must drop three players against Burnley today to solve major issue arising
Erik ten Hag must make three changes when Manchester United travel to Burnley in the Premier League on Saturday night. The Red Devils are in desperate need of three points after losing four of their opening six games this season, most recently a 4-3 defeat at Bayern Munich.
Ten Hag’s side in the Champions League Group A curtain-raiser at the Allianz Arena was far from his strongest.
But with some first-team names nearing a return, Express Sport pinpoints three stars who started in Bavaria and need to drop out at Turf Moor.
Victor Lindelof
Victor Lindelof and Lisandro Martinez have looked entirely out-of-sync at the heart of Ten Hag’s defence since Raphael Varane withdrew from United’s 3-2 win over Nottingham Forest at half-time in August.
But the Frenchman returned to training earlier this week and looks in line for a return to action against Burnley.
United have conceded 14 goals in their opening six fixtures, largely due to Varane’s absence from contention.
He would bring another level of quality and composure to the visitors’ back line, which has been sorely missed in United’s three consecutive defeats to Arsenal, Brighton and Bayern.
Lindelof can’t retain his place, though, and his uninspiring form could even open the door for Harry Maguire if he has recovered from a complaint that kept him out of the midweek trip to Germany.
United’s midfield has been a significant issue this term, with opponents easily bypassing ageing duo Casemiro and Christian Eriksen.
The Danish playmaker was particularly poor against Bayern and needs to drop to the bench despite a lack of options amid Ten Hag’s injury crisis.
Mason Mount joined Varane in returning to training this week and could make his return against Burnley.
Scott McTominay may also return to the starting lineup after Ten Hag dropped him against Bayern. Or Hannibal Mejbri could be in line for a great opportunity.
But it’s likely too soon for Sofyan Amrabat, but the Moroccan is also stepping up his recovery on the training pitch.
Facundo Pellistri
Plenty of United fans have been clamouring for Facundo Pellistri to receive a chance under Ten Hag.
And the Dutchman put huge faith in him at Bayern, handing him just his second start since joining the club in 2020.
But Pellistri struggled to make an impact against Alphonso Davies, and he may not get a second chance to impress against Burnley.
Alejandro Garnacho will be keen to return to the starting lineup and is the obvious option to replace Pellistri, with Antony and Jadon Sancho still unavailable.
