Manchester United returned to winning ways in the Premier League with a comprehensive 2-1 victory over Chelsea at Old Trafford on Wednesday.
The result belies the performance on the night with the xG post-match offering a much better reflection of how United out-attacked the struggling visitors.
Their next test is against Bournemouth at home, an easier test on paper but manager Erik ten Hag pointed out the competitiveness of the Cherries during the pre-match press conference.
The defence will need to be strong against the high-flying Cherries
Andoni Iraola’s side have won three of their last four games and have notched impressive wins against Newcastle United and Crystal Palace during this run.
They have scored against the likes of Manchester City and Liverpool this season which highlights their ability in front of goal and United’s defence will need to work hard to ensure three points on Saturday.
Despite the impressive display against the Blues, the Red Devils were not the most compact at the back, something that has happened often this season, mainly due to the ever-changing nature of the defensive unit.
Injuries and poor form have robbed Ten Hag of the chance to pick a consistent back four this term and the same will once again happen for the encounter against the Cherries.
Victor Lindelof, who was substituted at half-time in the Chelsea game, has picked up an unspecified knock as per the official United website and he will miss the encounter.
The Swede has been almost ever-present this campaign, starting 14 times in all competitions. Whether it will be a big miss remains to be seen.
Lindelof out
“Ten Hag has, however, lost the services of Victor Lindelof, who is out for Saturday’s game. Our no.2 left the field at half-time on Wednesday, and was replaced by Sergio Reguilon, with Luke Shaw shifting inside to centre-back.”
In good news, Raphael Varane, who missed the Chelsea game due to a back issue, has returned and was spotted in training. Jonny Evans is also back and came on as a late substitute against Mauricio Pochettino’s men.
It will be interesting to see if the manager brings either of them in or keeps playing Luke Shaw alongside Harry Maguire at the heart of the defence.
The full-back has impressed as centre-back with his passing prowess coming close to Lisandro Martinez. Sergio Reguilon’s attacking bursts could prove useful against the compact Cherries.
