Old Trafford will welcome the return of a familiar face on Saturday as Wayne Rooney makes his first appearance against Manchester United since joining Everton over the summer.
Jose Mourinho’s men bounced back from a disappointing 2-2 draw with Stoke City last weekend with an emphatic 3-0 win over FC Basel on their return to the Champions League. But it came at a cost: Paul Pogba, after just 16 minutes, hobbled off with a hamstring injury that will keep him out of action for around four to six weeks and severely weaken the fluidity of United’s midfield. His replacement, Marouane Fellaini, quickly grabbed the attention of supporters with a superb display, claiming a goal and an assist, and supporters will be keen to see the Belgian replicate the same prowess against his former club alongside Nemanja Matic.
And while Rooney attempts to cause Mourinho’s side a few problems, Everton fans will be wary of the threat posed by their own former marksman: Romelu Lukaku. Who has been at great odds to score first in previous games, especially with a cod bonus netbet to help you on your way. He has single handedly doubled the goals scored by Ronald Koeman’s side in the Premier League this season and, having opened his Champions League account, will be chomping at the but to inflict damage on a back four that shipped three goals away to Atalanta on Thursday night.
With that in mind, here is our predicted XI for the clash with Everton on Sunday including Lukaku and Fellaini facing their old club, while Antonio Valencia, Eric Bailly, Phil Jones and Matteo Darmian all return.
