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Manchester United will commence their 2022-23 UEFA Europa League campaign with a home game against Real Sociedad on Thursday, September 8. This will be a unique test for the team, and the Red Devils will be hoping to extend their four-match winning run when they take on Los Txuri-Urdin in the opener.
The Europa League is infamous for its extremely high number of matches and squad rotation will become imperative to avoid injury or burnout. Notably, the Red Devils had steamrolled the same opposition last year 4-0 in the Round of 32 of the same competition.
To achieve a similar result, substantial changes can be expected of the Manchester United first team that secured a comprehensive 3-1 home win against Arsenal last weekend (4 September). As such, this article will look at five players who can be brought into the starting XI by Ten Hag. Without further ado, let's get to them.
#5 Fred
Fred is one of the players that could be recalled to the starting XI against Real Sociedad. The arrival of Christian Eriksen has restricted Fred to the bench. However, he had a decent outing against Arsenal last weekend despite coming on late in the game.
Fred's tenacity and doggedness could prove to be an asset in the middle of the park in this all-important opener. He has featured in 17 Europa League games for United across two seasons, scoring twice and assisting six times. He also featured in seven games for Shakhtar Donetsk in the same competition across two seasons.
#4 Donny van de Beek
Donny van de Beek has struggled to secure regular game time for Manchester United since joining the club from Ajax. He is definitely one of the players that could benefit from a squad rotation in the Europa League opener. Van de Beek had recently openly welcomed the idea of a wider squad as seen in the United Stand's tweet below:
He is in contention for a start against Real Sociedad on Thursday and will be eager to impress his former Ajax manager and the supporters. Van de Beek featured in three Europa League fixtures for the club in the 2020-21 season. He was also a part of 17 Europa League games for former club Ajax across three seasons.
#3 Casemiro
Casemiro is yet to start a game for Manchester United after his big-money move from Real Madrid. As per Ten Hag, the Brazilian still needs time to adapt to the league and his philosophy. He also mentioned Scott McTominay's solid form as one of the reasons for the Brazilian not starting matches. Below are his comments as seen in UtdDistrict's tweet:
But Ten Hag is likely to use his squad depth for the upcoming game and there is a high chance that Casemiro could feature against Real Sociedad. Another important factor for his inclusion is his familiarity with a Spanish opponent and his knowledge of their playing pattern.
He featured in the La Liga for several years and his experience could prove crucial for Manchester United in this game. The five-time Champions League winner will play in Europe's second-tier club competition for the first time in his illustrious career.
#2 Harry Maguire
Harry Maguire is one of the players who was axed out of the starting XI by Ten Hag in the last four Premier League games. A lack of game time could seriously affect his chances of featuring for England in the forthcoming World Cup in Qatar.
Another worrying factor for him is that the team's defense has been more stable ever since he was excluded from the teams starting XI.
Despite having a terribly subpar last season and a horrendous start to the new campaign, Maguire remains a solid centre-back option. He guided England to the semi-finals of the 2018 FIFA World Cup and the finals of Euro 2020. He also captained United to second place in the 2020-21 season and the 2021 Europa League final.
Maguire will be keen to fight for his spot in the starting XI and it is most likely that Lisandro Martinez will be given some time to rest due to his injury scare against Arsenal last weekend. This could turn out to be a blessing in disguise for the Englishman and he will hope to regain the trust of Manchester United supporters and his manager.
The Manchester United captain has played 16 Europa League games in his career, including one for Hull City in the 2014-15 season.
#1 Cristiano Ronaldo
Another Manchester United player who could be introduced to the starting XI to face Real Sociedad is Cristiano Ronaldo. The Portuguese icon hasn't really been a regular starter for the Red Devils this season. He only played the full 90 minutes in the 0-4 loss against Brentford.
However, this could all change against Real Sociedad as Ten Hag might be looking to give him some game time to rotate his squad.
The five-time Ballon d'Or winner and his agent left no stone unturned in trying to leave Manchester United in the summer in search of a Champions League playing club. However, the move did not materialize and Ronaldo seems destined to play in the Europa League for the first time in his glittering career.
He will not play in the Champions League for the first time since the 2003-04 season. Cynics will downplay Ronaldo's predicament, but there may be an opportunity for the 37-year-old to add another feather to his cap in the twilight of his career.
