Manchester United do battle with Southampton for the first significant piece of silverware this season as Wembley hosts the EFL Cup final. After overcoming Northampton Town, Manchester City, West Ham United and Hull City, Jose Mourinho will take his United side to face a team that has confidently dispatched both Arsenal and Liverpool on their way to this year’s final.
Mourinho confirmed that both Michael Carrick and Wayne Rooney will be available for this weekend’s game, and with that, and last Wednesday’s Europa League meeting with Saint-Etienne in mind, here’s how we think United’s starting XI will look:
David De Gea and Antonio Valencia will both return to United’s rearguard, having been rested in midweek, but Mourinho is likely to stick with Daley Blind at left back, and Eric Bailly and Chris Smalling at centre back.
Carrick isn’t likely to be rested for this game with a trophy on the line, and will line-up in midfield alongside Paul Pogba and Ander Herrera, with the Spaniard returning to the team after being suspended against Saint-Etienne.
Henrikh Mkhitaryan’s suspension does pose United a few problems up front, so Juan Mata will probably be selected on the right hand flank, with Anthony Martial, who was an unused substitute in France on the left. Zlatan Ibrahimovic will surely start at the tip of United’s attack.
