Manchester United vs. West Brom preview: 5 key factors
5. Manchester United’s centre back selections
It’s a virtual certainty that Daley Blind will occupy one of United’s centre back spots, but the identity of his partner is very much in question. Chris Smalling has a slight chance of recovering his fitness in time for Sunday’s tilt, but it’s likely that we will see Michael Carrick deployed out of position once again.
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On the one hand, West Brom is an ideal opponent to deploy more possession oriented centre backs against. They are likely to cede a great deal of possession to United so the skill of Blind and Carrick on the ball could come in handy. They can pull the strings for the United attack from the back four, as opposed to the defensive midfield.
The downside to that, is that West Brom will look to hit United on the counter. Neither Carrick or Blind is what you would call fleet of foot, so the Baggies could catch them out with a ball over the top. One of the two United men may have to sit very deep, even when his side are comfortable with the ball to avoid that trap.
The other alternative for van Gaal would be to once again turn to 18-year-old starlet Timothy Fosu-Mensah. He performed well against Watford in the middle of the week, but his inexperience might cost United in the tough environment at West Brom. Look for Carrick and Blind to get the starts and their play could be crucial to the match’s outcome.
Next: 4. Chris Brunt's absence