The third-round tie between Manchester United and Aston Villa takes place at Old Trafford on Monday night
The Reds are aiming to win the FA Cup for the 13th time this season, which would be our first since 2016, but there is still a long way to go before we can talk about semi-finals and finals.
We may expect a difficult assignment from Steven Gerrard’s Villa side, therefore Ralf Rangnick’s lineup selection may be conservative. If United exits another cup tournament in the early stages, the second half of the season will be grim.
Rangnick updated the team at his news conference on Friday afternoon, when Victor Lindelof returned to Carrington training, while skipper Harry Maguire is still recovering from his knock.
While speaking to the club’s official website, Rangnick said:
“Victor is back in training, since yesterday, which is very good news for us. Harry hasn’t been able to train, as yet, and we have to wait and see how this develops, tomorrow or the day after. With Harry, there is still a question mark, but Victor will definitely be available for the game on Monday.”
United fans had a sigh of relief after Lindelof shared a story about his recovery from Covid. His health scare was a big worrying sign and he had several tests done to monitor his heart condition.
Phil Jones made his first United appearance in nearly two years after Lindelof, Maguire, and Eric Bailly were all injured against Wolves. He put it in a flawless performance and received huge praise from the manager.
Jones should be able to preserve his starting spot against the Villans. In central defense, he will most likely continue to partner with Raphael Varane. Meanwhile, Rangnick has the option of using a three-man backline, as he did against Wolves in the second half.
Lindelof’s return to the starting lineup is a distinct possibility if the German maintains his current system. The £21.6 million center-back recently suffered an unfortunate injury setback and will be eager to reclaim his starting spot.
