Already Decided: Who Will Play Upfront For Man United Against Arsenal?? Mourinho Finds Solution!!
Nov 17, 2016 at 4:43 PM
Manchester United face a tough test when they return to Premier League action this weekend as they welcome in-form Arsenal to Old Trafford.
And, if Jose Mourinho’s side is going to get anything against their long-time rivals, they’ll have to do it without Zlatan Ibrahimovic, as he sits out his one-game suspension for picking up five yellow cards.
The Swedish striker has been a near ever-present in Mourinho’s starting lineups so far – especially for the ‘big games’ – so that begs the question; who will take his place and lead the line for United this Saturday? According to a report from The Mirror, that decision may well already have been made.
Per the report, it is Marcus Rashford who is set to win the race to replace Zlatan as the spearhead of United’s attack in their first game since the international break.
Wayne Rooney, it seems, will have to make with a place on the Old Trafford bench even with his experienced teammate sidelined through suspension.
Having played well for the Red Devils’ in their most recent game – a 3-1 win over Swansea City in which he provided an assist – the England captain may have hoped to get a chance to stake his claim to return to his traditional forward position.
However, Mourinho appears set to hand the responsibility to Rooney’s young teammate Rashford, a decision the majority of the Old Trafford faithful will probably agree with.
Whether Rooney’s bench spot is due to the nagging injury that kept him out of England vs Spain on Tuesday or the off-field antics that have grabbed the headlines since – or simply a sign of the times – it is another blow to the 31-year-old’s United future.
If he can’t lead the line when Ibrahimovic is unavailable, then the chances are he won’t get that opportunity many times this season once the Swede is back in contention after the Arsenal game.
As for Rashford, this could be the opening he and many United fans have been waiting for.
Having begun the Mourinho reign on the bench, the young England striker has played a more pivotal role over recent weeks, but has often had to do so from an unfamiliar wide position.
He burst onto the scene last season as a clinical goal scoring playing through the middle and Mourinho will be hoping he can provide the team with a much-needed boost if he does decide to deploy him in his favoured position against the Gunners.