Manchester United will kick off the new year with a tough test at home to Aston Villa as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side look to continue their good run of form against one of the Premier League’s most threatening teams.
To add an extra layer of intrigue to the contest, Solskjaer will also have to combat his coming foes with a number of key players missing through injury and some returning to the side after an extended amount of time out.
So how will Man United line up at Old Trafford on January 1 when they face Aston Villa?
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In defence the Man United boss will undoubtedly start with David de Gea in goals, with Luke Shaw on the left and Aaron Wan-Bissaka on the right, following his return to the team in the recent 1-0 win over Wolves on Tuesday.
Solskjaer will have Harry Maguire to call upon in central defence, but he’ll be without Victor Lindelof is still out with a back injury and will almost certainly miss the New Year’s Day fixture. In his place will most likely be Eric Bailly.
In the midst of a busy fixture schedule, the Man United boss is likely to move around his midfield options to maintain a fresh starting XI. That means Paul Pogba and Nemanja Matic should drop out for Scott McTominay and Fred at the base of midfield.
In attack, Bruno Fernandes shows no signs of slowing down and will likely remain in his No.10 role, alongside Marcus Rashford and Mason Greenwood, while Anthony Martial returns to take up the No.9 position.
Man Utd v Aston Villa: Predicted XI
Paul Pogba 
Bruno Fernandes 
Anthony Martial 
Marcus Rashford 
Man City 
Man Utd 
Aston Villa 
Liverpool 
