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Ole Gunnar Solkjaer made it 13 wins out of 16 in all competitions by clinching a soul-stirring win against Southampton to move into the top four. On Wednesday night his team faces a Herculean task to overturn the 2-0 deficit that PSG inflicted on them at Old Trafford.
Without their talisman Paul Pogba and a clutch of first teamers who are on the injury table like Anthony Martial, Jesse Lingard, Juan Mata, Nemanja Matic, and Ander Hererra,we are destined to see United start with an entirely different line up from the one that started in that dismal defeat against the French side.
Thus the injuries and the recent upturn in form of some of his players will pose some tricky questions to Solkjaer ahead of their trip to Paris.
Here are 5 questions facing Solkjaer as he prepares his side to face the French champions:
1] Does Diogo Dalot start as a right winger?
Summer signing Diago Dalot has impressed recently in an attacking role. The Portuguese played in the right midfield position in the midweek game against Crystal Palace. This move was to combat the threat of Palace’s talisman Wilfried Zaha and rampaging full back Patrick Van Aanholt. Dalot did very well in this game as he stayed wide thus occupying Van Aanholt who had to mark Dalot thus limiting his forward ventures.
The Portuguese starlet also displayed some of his attacking qualities when he came on for the injured Alexis Sanchez in the second half against Southampton. He provided the assist for the equalizer and his direct running, powerful surges and vicious crosses gave the Red Devils another dimension.
In the fixture at Old Trafford, the majority of PSG’s attacks came from United’s right wing as Di Maria caused United problems in the second half later resulting into a crucial second goal as Kylian Mbappe latched on to a cross from the former United no.7 to give PSG a two-goal cushion. Would playing Dalot on the right wing give United some much-needed balance and defensive security?
2] Where do Lukaku and Rashford play?
Marcus Rashford has played some of his best football when played through the middle. Under Ole’s watch, he has netted winners against Newcastle United, Tottenham Hotspur and Leicester City. The youngster has been a revelation as he has enjoyed a consistent run of games playing as a number 9. This has forced Romelu Lukaku to play second fiddle or from the right to accommodate Rashford through the middle.
Rashford picked up an ankle injury against Liverpool which gave Lukaku the chance to stake a claim to play in his favoured position and he took the chance with both hands or in this case with both his feet as he registered two braces against Crystal Palace and Southampton, netting the winner in the latter. In the Southampton game, Rashford started on the right but didn’t look as threatening as he does when played down the middle.
In spite of all his goals, the Belgian possesses a heavy touch and is suited to play as a predator near the box than on the right where his shortcomings are highlighted. The best solution could be playing them in a front two in a different formation altogether (more on that later). So how do you think Ole Gunnar Solkjaer will solve this striking conundrum?
3] Do United play 3 at the back?
Manchester United have been at their lethal best when their full-backs are pushing high with their attackers playing narrow and close to each other, linking up to open up the opposition defence. Solkjaer has predominantly used a 4-3-3 formation but due to the flurry of injuries, they are threadbare in attack and in the midfield.
In such a situation it would seem logical to play a 3-5-2 formation as Ole has a number of fit centre backs to choose from and he could play Shaw and Dalot as wing-backs, thus utilizing their attacking abilities. Both the full backs have registered an assist in the past couple of games and will be itching to play in an attacking role.
A formation change would mean Lukaku and Rashford could play in a front two which is a viable option given their exploits through the middle. In the absence of Paul Pogba and a number of first teamers, it would be interesting to see whether the Norwegian decides to alter his approach.
4]How do United cope without Pogba?
Paul Pogba is suspended for the crucial game against PSG as he received his marching orders after a high challenge on Dani Alves at the Theatre of Dreams. The Frenchman has arguably been United’s best player plundering 15 goals and notching 10 assists in all competitions this season. He has been revitalized under Ole as he has emerged as United's most potent creative force.
Solkjaer has been successful in getting the best out of his star player, unlike his predecessor. Thus he will be a huge miss for the Red Devils as they will be deprived of Pogba’s lung-bursting runs, creativity and bullishness in midfield. However, Andreas Pereira showed in the last game that he can fill in the number 10 role with a spectacular goal.
The Brazilian is no stranger to this position having played there in his academy days. If Pereira can replicate his second-half showing against Southampton, United could give PSG a run for their money.
5]Will Ole throw in the youngsters?
Solkjaer has spoken glowingly about the quality of the youngsters in the academy. He has also handed out debuts to Tahith Chong and James Garner. Garner made his debut in the game against Crystal Palace while Chong made an appearance in the comeback win against Southampton.
The interim manager has expressed the importance of continuing United’s sacred tradition of promoting from within and giving youngsters an opportunity to showcase their talents. United do possess a plethora of talents which include Tahith Chong, Mason Greenwood, Angel Gomes and James Garner. With top four being the priority and a 2-0 deficit going into the game, United don’t really have anything to lose.
It could still be argued that throwing in any youngster in such a high profile game wouldn’t be such a wise decision. So it remains to be seen whether Solkjaer takes a gamble and pulls off another comeback to add to his illustrious pantheon of comebacks.
