Manchester United host Aston Villa on Sunday with both sides dealing with important absences after midweek Champions League matches. Our Man United vs Aston Villa prediction favors the visitors narrowly, with Villa’s movement between the lines and United’s weakened central defense giving them the stronger attacking route.
Lisandro Martinez is suspended and Carlos Baleba is out for United, leaving less protection through the middle, while Villa must rebuild at right-back with Matty Cash suspended.
That gives United a clear route through Bryan Mbeumo on the left, but Villa should also find space for John McGinn and Nicolas Jackson around United’s reshaped defensive structure.
Man United Team News & Injuries
The back line has lost its most senior pairing. Martinez was sent off for a second yellow card at Chelsea on Oct. 31 and serves a one-match league ban, so Heaven, who started against Roma, projects beside Maguire. Maguire left Tuesday’s game late and appeared to be limping, replaced by Matthijs De Ligt, and his status hasn’t been updated, so de Ligt is the partner if he can’t go.
In midfield, Baleba is out with a hamstring injury suffered against Roma, which sends Tielemans, his replacement on Tuesday, into the pivot beside Mainoo.
Cunha scored twice against Roma before he was sent off, and the one-match ban that follows applies to the Champions League game at Sporting, so he remains available on Sunday. He moved into the middle with Mbeumo going wide in the second half on Tuesday, which is how the projection lines them up. Marcus Rashford (hip) has missed four games and Carrick said Sunday was a possible return, assessed day by day.
At left-back, Luke Shaw (undisclosed) won’t be fit this week, Carrick said, and Patrick Dorgu (hamstring) was back in training on Monday but wasn’t involved on Tuesday, which keeps Diogo Dalot on the left with Yoro, who manages an intermittent tendon problem, on the right. Benjamin Sesko (shin) is out until at least January. Senne Lammens is in goal.
Ten of this projected XI started on Tuesday, and if Carrick rotates, Mason Mount, Joshua Zirkzee and Andrey Santos, who were on the bench, are the names to come in.
Aston Villa Team News & Injuries
Right-back is where Unai Emery has to rebuild. Cash is serving a one-match league ban after five yellow cards in nine league games, though it didn’t apply in Tuesday’s Champions League game, and Aaron Wan-Bissaka (hamstring) was aiming to resume training this week and remains doubtful. Bogarde projects there, and the other route is to move Victor Lindelof to the right and bring Tyrone Mings in beside Pau Torres.
Matteo Ruggeri (hamstring) is out until mid-December and Amadou Onana (knee) is out long term, so neither changes who plays.
Goretzka, who started the 1-1 draw with Fulham on Oct. 31 and came off the bench at Barcelona, projects beside Kamara, with Joao Gomes the other option, and Zion Suzuki is in goal.
Emiliano Buendia started at Barcelona and is the one attacking name that could change the shape. If he plays at No. 10 as he did on Tuesday, McGinn would likely move to the right and Alysson would be the one to make way.
Man United vs Aston Villa Head-to-Head Record
Man United lead the all-time Premier League series 42 wins to Villa’s six, with 14 draws in 62 meetings. The table shows the last five league meetings at Old Trafford.
Manchester United predicted starting XI (4-2-3-1): Senne Lammens; Leny Yoro, Ayden Heaven, Harry Maguire, Diogo Dalot; Kobbie Mainoo, Youri Tielemans; Amad Diallo, Bruno Fernandes, Bryan Mbeumo; Matheus Cunha
