Manchester United: 3 Men who would be vital against Leicester City | Premier League 2019-20

The Red Devils need to get back to winning ways
The Red Devils need to get back to winning ways

Manchester United have gotten off to a bad start in the Premier League with just five points off the first four games. In their last game, they were held to a 1-1 draw by 10 men Southampton away from home.

The Red Devils will next face Leicester City at Old Trafford.

Leicester are currently placed at 3rd position in the points table with eight points from four games. Jamie Vardy has been among the scorers for the Foxes with three goals, whilst James Maddison has been in good touch himself.

Although Leicester have won just one of their last 19 league games against Manchester United, they will still be a tough opponent in the current situation for the Red Devils.

Let us look at three players who will be vital for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer against Leicester City.


#3 Mason Greenwood

Mason Greenwood could be presented with a golden opportunity to shine tomorrow
Mason Greenwood could be presented with a golden opportunity to shine tomorrow

Mason Greenwood is expected to get the nod ahead of Juan Mata against Leicester City. Paul Pogba is out of the clash and Jesse Lingard is a doubt due to illness.

Greenwood has shown good signs when he has got the chance to play as a substitute. He was good in the last game against Southampton, where he showed a spark of his quality, with a fiery shot following a take-on. He also got into a good position in the right-hand side unmarked but was ignored by Lingard who went for the shot.

Greenwood would be facing off against, perhaps, Leicester City's best player so far in Wilfred Ndidi. Playing as a defensive midfielder, Ndidi has registered 5 tackles, 4.3 interceptions, and only 0.7 fouls per game.

It is both a nightmare and a challenging situation to start against Ndidi as a #10 in your first start of the season. Greenwood has been handed an opportunity that he could grasp with both hands and cement his place in the lineup.

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#2 Ashley Young

Southampton FC v Manchester United - Premier League
Southampton FC v Manchester United - Premier League

Aaron Wan-Bissaka is a doubt for the Leicester game due to back spasms. Diogo Dalot is not fit yet. In that case, Ashley Young might be the only option left for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer at RB. The left-back spot has to be taken up by Marcos Rojo.

Young has started only one game for the Red Devils so far this season and wouldn't make the lineup ahead of the others.

Young playing at the defensive end is not a nightmare as many might think. He won 61.5 percent of the tackles last season in the Premier League and won 4 duels per game at 55%. He was dribbled past only once in 2 games.

In games against Wolves and Chelsea, which are tough oppositions, Brendan Rodgers shifted James Maddison from the #10 spot to the left-hand side of the attack. This is a strong possibility even tomorrow at the Theatre of Dreams.

A player like Maddison, who was the player with the most number of chances created last season, is a threat at any spot. On the left-hand side, from where he wreaked havoc against Chelsea, he is even more threatening as he is the player with the most number of accurate crosses in his team (2.3 per game), and most number of key passes per game.

Young has to be at his level best to neutralize Maddison's effect on the game.

#1 Daniel James

Daniel James is currently the top-scorer in the team with 3 goals to his name
Daniel James is currently the top-scorer in the team with 3 goals to his name

The current top-scorer of the team is always expected to add to his tally. Daniel James will be chasing a milestone of his own when he takes the pitch against Leicester City. He could become only the second Red Devil to score in his first three Premier League games at Old Trafford - a record held only by his current manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

Leaving the milestone aside, the onus of scoring will be heavily on James and Marcus Rashfrod, in the absence of both Anthony Martial and Paul Pogba.

Creation through the wings is much the better option against Leicester than trying to hit them head-on in the center. First, getting past Wilfried Ndidi's screen will be difficult and then Caglar Soyuncu and Wes Morgan are big, physical presences who are tough to slide past. Leaving Andreas Pereira to ram through the right-hand side is one option but James, given his pace, and sweet right-foot should hold more freedom to run through the sides.

James will be greeted by Ricardo Pereira, another defender with solid numbers of 5 tackles and 1.3 interceptions per game. But Pereira is dribbled past 2.5 times on an average which is James' cue and gives away almost 2 fouls per game.

James will be the most vital component in goal-scoring and creation for Solskjaer tomorrow against Leicester.

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Edited by Zaid Khan