Manchester United are depleted in defence for the game against Chelsea tonight (18 April).
Michael Carrick has named his lineup to take on the Blues at Stamford Bridge this evening. The Reds are looking to bounce back after Monday’s disappointing loss against Leeds United.
The spotlight falls on Ayden Heaven, the 19-year-old defender forced into the starting eleven. As the only natural centre-back fit to start, the question in the lead-up to this fixture has been who will partner him. The question has been answered:
Noussair Mazraoui.
Mazraoui Set to Partner Heaven
Carrick has chosen Mazraoui to partner Heaven for this evening’s fixture. The Moroccan has played at centre-back this season for United against West Ham and Wolves. Albeit it was in a back-three system under the then-head coach Ruben Amorim. Tonight he plays in a traditional centreback pairing.
Harry Maguire (suspension), Lisandro Martinez (suspension), Matthijs De Ligt (injury) and Leny Yoro (injury) are all unavailable. It poses as a defensive crisis for at least the next two games before Maguire can return.
The decision is a bold, yet sensible call by the interim boss to go with Mazraoui as the ‘senior’ centre-back. Luke Shaw and Diogo Dalot have been preferred in their natural positions. The former Bayern man struggled at right-back in the 2-1 defeat to Leeds. Mazraoui’s technical composure and lack of athleticism may be better suited centrally.
As Heaven is naturally left-footed, pairing him with the right-footed Mazraoui maintains a natural passing lane and balance that a Shaw-Heaven partnership would have lacked under pressure.
Despite the Reds falling into survival mode at the back, they will still be itching to come away from West London with all three points. A victory ensures that the gap between sixth place widens with a handful of league games to play.
