Manchester United’s hopes of qualifying for next season’s Champions League are hanging by a thread after their latest dramatic affair, with the Reds dropping two valuable points earlier this weekend.
Erik ten Hag’s men now sit eight points behind Tottenham Hotspur in fifth and 11 points behind Aston Villa in fourth – gaps unlikely to be made up in the last nine games of the campaign.
It is not completely out of reach, however, as a fifth-placed finish could mean Champions League qualification this season as Europe’s elite competition is being restructured next season.
Depending on how English clubs perform in the latter stages of all three European club competitions this season, the Premier League could be rewarded with an extra seat at Europe’s fine dining table next year.
Next up on United’s fierce fixture list is a trip to Stamford Bridge and United could save some face in that game and should the two sides above them drop points, talk of a final push will be the case.
How could the late drama at the Gtech Community Stadium impact Ten Hag’s thinking going into that game then? Well, there is the obvious argument to start Mason Mount after he scored his first goal of the season.
Mount has endured a nightmare first season at the club. He struggled to have any significant impact in the first three months and he only recently made his return from a four-month injury layoff.
At his best, Mount is a fine asset to have in your squad and there is always that added twist of playing against your former side.
Should Mount be offered a chance to start the game, it’s likely that one of Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho will drop to the bench, with Bruno Fernandes pushed out to one of the flanks.
Further back, Kobbie Mainoo is almost guaranteed to start the game alongside Casemiro but Ten Hag could be forced into two changes.
Raphael Varane and Victor Lindelof were both withdrawn from the game at Brentford due to injuries but the former is said to be okay.
Lisandro Martinez made his highly anticipated return from injury that game and a start in London would be a huge boost for the Reds.
