Man Utd boss Ten Hag may drop thre players for Tottenham and Chelsea

Man Utd v Omonoia: Match in pictures

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Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag will be hoping that a few tactical changes will enable his side to return to winning ways against top-four rivals Tottenham and Chelsea. The Red Devils drew 0-0 with Newcastle on Sunday though will feel begrudged to only earn a single point from the match.

United missed two significant chances late on through Fred and Marcus Rashford, which Ten Hag openly admitted his players should have scored to give his side the lead. The draw means that his side remains fifth in the Premier League and are just three points ahead of 10th-placed Bournemouth.

The Old Trafford outfit have one of their toughest few days of the season this week, playing Tottenham on Wednesday before travelling to Stamford Bridge on Saturday to take on Chelsea. Thus, squad rotation will be key for Ten Hag.

To bounce back from the stalemate, United may look to some of those who sat out the draw with Newcastle to make an impact. But at the expense of who…

Fred

Christian Eriksen did not feature at the Theatre of Dreams at the weekend due to illness, though his absence was significant. Fred struggled to fill the void left by the Danish international, lacking the attacking output that has helped United tick from deep.

Fred also struggled against Newcastle, with his miss when the goal was at his mercy epitomising his display. If Eriksen can overcome his illness, Ten Hag will be likely to reunite the former Inter Milan playmaker with Casemiro in the centre of the park.

Cristiano Ronaldo

Rashford did not start on Sunday because he was feeling ‘under the weather’ but when he replaced Cristiano Ronaldo in the 72nd minute, his impact was there for all to see. The England international’s pace and willingness to run in behind stretches defences and allows Ten Hag’s side to play on the counter, and he must come back into the side.

Of course, this could come at the expense of Ronaldo. The Portugal international struggled to make his mark against the Toon Army and was furious as he left the fray, but his frustrations haven’t made an impact under Ten Hag and he could drop back to the bench if United’s attacking reinforcements return to fitness this week.

Jadon Sancho

Just like Ronaldo, Jadon Sancho’s game time could suffer if Rashford returns to fitness – and equally if Anthony Martial is able to play in either of the matches against London opposition. The former Borussia Dortmund star will feel that he has done enough to retain his spot in the starting eleven but he still is not shining in the Premier League like many anticipated he would.

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