Man United: Solskjaer says he’s ‘delighted’ with Ighalo
Manchester United are likely to play three at the back for Sunday’s match against Manchester City at Old Trafford. And Odion Ighalo may be set for his first Premier League start for the club after scoring twice in their 3-0 FA Cup win over Derby County on Thursday night.
Manchester United go up against Manchester City aiming to extend their unbeaten run, with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side yet to lose since the 2-0 defeat to Burnley in December.
The Red Devils have won six of their nine matches in the time since that game to boost their hopes of finishing in the Premier League top four.
And they’re likely to go strong for Sunday’s derby, with Solskjaer keen to beat Pep Guardiola for the third time this season.
David De Gea should start between the sticks.
The Spain international was at fault for Everton’s goal in the 1-1 draw at Goodison Park last weekend.
He was rested for the win over Derby, with Sergio Romero taking his place, but the 29-year-old will likely be given a chance to bounce back.
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And Bruno Fernandes will potentially be deployed ahead of the duo, charged with the task of creating chances.
Ighalo and Anthony Martial could then start up top with Solskjaer aware a win would represent a massive strike forward for his side.
And that would mean Mason Greenwood being left on the bench as an impact sub.
Meanwhile, speaking ahead of the game, Solskjaer has issued a warning to City.
“We were played off the park for 15 minutes,” admitted Solskjaer. “Our heads went for a spell, thinking that we had to recover the game in 10 minutes when you don’t have to.
“We have learnt from that one, definitely.
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Man Utd team news: Predicted XI for Man City clash in full (Image: GETTY)
"I don't know how [City] will feel. They'll feel confident. They've hit form, they're playing well. They've just been at the Bernabeu winning there, they've won the cup final, so I'm sure they'll come confident.
"They'll play their own game, we'll play our game and hopefully it'll be a good one. Let's hope it's a 4-3 like we've seen before. There have been many classics so we'll do what we can to make it a classic.
“When you are at home and have to open up against a team like Man City, they will exploit that if you are not 100 percent. And sometimes being at home you want to show your fans what you can do and you open too many spaces.
"And that’s what we did in those 15 or 20 or however many minutes after they scored a world. Before then, it wasn't a problem, before Bernardo scored in the top corner. It wasn't an issue until our heads went for a little while.
“So we have got to control our emotions more. And we have learnt, so that is an experience we will bring into this game."
Full United Predicted XI: De Gea, Wan-Bissaka, Bailly, Maguire, Shaw, Williams, Fred, McTominay, Fernandes, Martial, Ighalo