Erik ten Hag will have a big decision to make over whether or not to reinstate Marcus Rashford in attack for Manchester United against Bournemouth this afternoon. The England ace missed last weekend's victory over Wolves and, despite returning to first-team training earlier this week, is now battling illness and could be sidelined as the Red Devils look to consolidate a top-four finish in the Premier League by claiming all three points yet again.
Express Sport takes a look at the United side that could be tasked with securing what should be a routine away win over Bournemouth later today...
David de Gea will almost certainly be given the nod between the sticks for today's trip to Bournemouth in spite of the criticism aimed in his direction regarding his weak distribution over the course of this season. The Spaniard is still on course to scoop this year's Golden Glove and will claim the prize outright with another shutout against the Cherries after doing so in the reverse fixture at Old Trafford back in January.
De Gea will also be hoping to put in a strong performance in order to aid his ongoing contract negotiations at United, with his current deal set to expire at the end of the campaign as things stand.
Erik ten Hag will have a big decision to make over whether or not to start Marcus Rashford (Image: GETTY)
Defence - Wan-Bissaka, Varane, Lindelof, Shaw
Raphael Varane made his return to the United side against Wolves after recovering from an injury and did well to keep out the likes of Diego Costa and Matheus Cunha over the course of the 90 minutes. He will surely be named at centre-back once again for today's game against Bournemouth, while Victor Lindelof will be expected to partner the Frenchman in the continued absence of Lisandro Martinez.
Aaron Wan-Bissaka will also be poised to retain his spot on the right of defence, with Luke Shaw in line to start on the opposite flank to complete an unchanged back four for the Red Devils.
Midfield - Casemiro, Eriksen, Fernandes
It is unlikely that there will be any surprises in the middle of the park for United, with Casemiro set to partner Christian Eriksen in the engine room against Bournemouth this afternoon. The former has been a revelation since joining United from Real Madrid in January and has been widely tipped to scoop the club's Player of the Year award, although he will undoubtedly face stiff competition from Rashford to claim the gong at the end of the season.
Eriksen has also impressed in a deeper role over the course of the campaign and will be poised to feature alongside Casemiro in the engine room, with Bruno Fernandes occupying his usual creative position slightly further ahead.
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Rashford trained earlier this week but has since been struck down by illness (Image: GETTY)
Attack - Antony, Sancho, Martial
Antony and Jadon Sancho will be expected to reprise their roles out wide for United when they visit the Vitality Stadium later today, although there may be no room for Rashford up top if the 25-year-old fails to shake off his illness in time for the fixture. This would see Anthony Martial trusted to lead the line for the Red Devils once again, with the Frenchman set to be tasked with maintaining his scoring form after finding the back of the net against Wolves last time around.
Ten Hag will be desperate for Martial to impress for the second week in a row against Bournemouth, with United able to secure a top-four finish in the Premier League if they beat the Cherries and Liverpool lose against Aston Villa.
Possible Man Utd XI vs Bournemouth (4-2-3-1) - De Gea; Wan-Bissaka, Varane, Lindelof, Shaw; Casemiro, Eriksen; Antony, Fernandes, Sancho; Martial.