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Manchester United will welcome AC Milan to Old Trafford for the first leg of their Europa League round-of-16 tie on Thursday.
The hosts secured their spot in this round by virtue of their 4-0 aggregate victory over Real Sociedad. AC Milan rather surprisingly needed away goals to beat FK Crvena Zvezda after drawing the tie 3-3 on aggregate.
Both sides picked up 2-0 away victories in their respective leagues last weekend, with AC Milan seeing off Hellas Verona, while Manchester United edged the Manchester derby.
The two sides find themselves in similar standings in their domestic leagues. They each led the the table a few weeks ago, but are now playing catch-up to their city rivals and have slim chances of triumphing in the league.
This makes the Europa League their most likely route to winning a trophy this season and both sides will give their all to secure a spot in the quarterfinals.
There are several marquee players that have the capability to decide the outcome of this tie and they can be expected to take center stage when the two European giants trade tackles on Thursday.
Here is a rundown of five players to watch when Manchester United host AC Milan.
#5 Rafael Leao (AC Milan)
With Zlatan Ibrahimovic having lost the race to be fit in time for a return to Old Trafford, the onus will be on Rafael Leoa to lead the line for AC Milan.
The 21-year-old was one of the brightest sparks for the Rossonerri as they set the pace in Serie A earlier in the season. His form, however, has been poor in the last few months and he is currently on a run of eight games without a goal in the league.
Nevertheless, the former Lille man has enough pace to trouble a Manchester United defense that has often struggled to keep a leash on pacy forwards.
#4 Anthony Martial (Manchester United)
Manchester United are likely to be without the services of Edinson Cavani and Marcus Rashford, which will mean the burden of scoring will lie heavily on Anthony Martial.
The Frenchman has flattered to deceive this season and his return of seven goals from 34 matches in all competitions is not acceptable for a striker leading the line at Old Trafford.
However, Martial's talents are not in doubt and he has the capacity to make a mark against AC Milan.
#3 Franck Kessie (AC Milan)
This fixture between Manchester United and AC Milan is likely to be won or lost in midfield and Franck Kessie will play a key role in determining who wins the midfield battle.
The Ivory Coast international has been in fine form for AC Milan this season, with his strength, technique and ball-carrying abilities helping him dictate the tempo of games effectively.
He also poses a threat from penalties and has an almost unerring accuracy from 12 yards.
#2 Luke Shaw (Manchester United)
Given the importance of the fixture and strength of the opponent, Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is more likely to field a full-strength squad.
There are arguably not too many players in the current United set-up who are more important than Luka Shaw.
The former Southampton man has had an inconsistent career till this season but has begun to fulfil the promise expected off him from his teenage years.
Perhaps it was due to the arrival of Alex Telles, but it can be argued that Shaw is currently playing the best football of his Manchester United career.
The quality of his delivery has vastly improved and he has now become a serious threat in the final third after facing years of criticism over his limited output in attack.
Shaw's spectacular goal in the Manchester derby on Sunday will ensure there is a spring in his steps when AC Milan come visiting.
#1 Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United)
There are no prizes for guessing who the number one player to watch out for in this fixture was.
Bruno Fernandes has been nothing short of spectacular since joining Manchester United from Sporting Lisbon in January 2020.
The 26-year-old has racked up 35 goals and 21 assists from just 63 games in all competitions for the Red Devils and his form has seen him break a host of records at Old Trafford.
The Portugal international is capable of almost single-handedly deciding this tie and can hurt the visitors with his goalscoring threat, as well as his vision and creativity.
