Ralf Rangnick, Manchester United's interim manager, has announced his starting lineup for today's Manchester derby.
Manchester United are without Raphael Varane (left) and Cristiano Ronaldo (right).
Manchester United are without Raphael Varane (left) and Cristiano Ronaldo (right).
Interim manager Ralf Rangnick has chosen his starting lineup for Manchester United's derby match against Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium this afternoon, with Raphael Varane and Cristiano Ronaldo out.
United will be looking to bounce back after a goalless draw with Watford last Saturday. They were beaten 2-0 by City in the reverse fixture at Old Trafford back in November. They produced a slew of opportunities but failed to capitalize on them when they presented themselves.
United remained in the top four thanks to the draw, but by only two points. They will, however, be eager to get back on track this afternoon after losing their last two games in all competitions.
Rangnick has made three changes to the side that was held by Watford last time out, two of which are enforced, in order to guide United to a fourth consecutive victory at the Etihad. Nemanja Matic, Varane, and Ronaldo have all been dropped in favor of Harry Maguire, Scott McTominay, and Jadon Sancho.
Rangnick expected Edinson Cavani and Ronaldo to return, but they were left out of the squad due to injury, while Luke Shaw and Varane tested positive for Covid-19. Diogo Dalot and Marcus Rashford, on the other hand, have been selected on the replacements' bench.
Rangnick will be hopeful that his three alterations in the starting lineup are enough to lead the Reds to a fourth consecutive away victory over City. The hosts, on the other hand, will be hoping to reclaim a six-point lead over Liverpool at the top of the league.
Varane and Ronaldo's exclusions have drew the most notice from United fans in the immediate aftermath of the team announcement being released, as the pair are both considered big-game performers. MEN Sport has compiled a list of some of United's most passionate supporters.
The absences of Varane and Ronaldo have left United fans worried, as evidenced by the words featured in the tweets above. While Varane has made United seem more stable at the back this season, Ronaldo's absence is a blow, despite the fact that he hasn't been blazing on all cylinders recently.
Henderson, Dalot, Bailly, Jones, Matic, Hannibal, Mata, Lingard, Rashford are the substitutes.
The derby at the Etihad Stadium starts at 4:30pm this afternoon, and you can follow all of the action on our live matchday blog, which can be found here.
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