Three in, three out: the changes Solskjaer is likely to make against Villarreal – opinion

As the dust settles on Manchester United’s first defeat of the Premier League season, the focus will quickly shift towards their second group game of the Champions League.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and his side succumbed to a surprising defeat to Young Boys in the first round, leaving them last in the group.

There is, however, a shot at redemption for Manchester United as they face Villarreal at Old Trafford in four days – a repeat of that agonising Europa League final in May.

Solskjaer is likely to make a few changes for the visit of Unai Emery’s side, with some of them being forced due to injury. Stretty News takes a look at three likely changes below.

Harry Maguire out, Victor Lindelof in
The Manchester United captain struggled early in the second half with a calf injury but played on for another 15 minutes before being withdrawn by the manager. After the game, Solskjaer admitted neither Maguire nor Shaw looked likely to feature against Aston Villa.

Lindelof did well in his brief cameo and will want to impress on his return to the side, having been replaced by Raphael Varane as Solskjaer’s first-choice centre-back.

Read more: Solskjaer defends Bruno Fernandes taking penalty over Cristiano Ronaldo

Luke Shaw out, Diogo Dalot in
There is a case to be made for Alex Telles, who returned to the side earlier this week against West Ham. The Brazil international’s performance did little to help his case, however.

A more likely option is Dalot, who impressed for AC Milan in the Serie A last season and also earned himself a call-up to Portugal’s Euro 2020 squad. Much like Lindelof, Dalot has a shot at redemption in the important clash against Villarreal.

Mason Greenwood out, Jadon Sancho in
Jadon Sancho’s career at Manchester United is yet to explode and Solskjaer will be hoping for his breakthrough moment to arrive sooner rather than later. The 21-year-old is one of the most exciting prospects in European football but has struggled in his first month back in England.

Mason Greenwood, on the other hand, has been exemplary, scoring three goals in the first six league games of the season. Against Aston Villa, he was United’s most potent threat to their defence.

Despite the 19-year-old’s forward strides this campaign, we’re likely to see Sancho given the nod ahead of him in the Champions League. Sancho exceeds Greenwood in terms of experience and has started both of United’s cup games so far, hinting another start is in the pipeline for the former Borussia Dortmund star.

More Stories Harry Maguire Jadon Sancho Luke Shaw Manchester United Mason Greenwood Premier League

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