How Manchester United should line up in the derby vs Man City

Manchester United take on Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium in the Premier League on Sunday afternoon.

United were defeated home and away in the Manchester derby last season and Erik ten Hag will be hoping for an improved performance this weekend, with his side in excellent form after 12 taking points from their last four league matches.

The Reds won four consecutive Premier League matches for the first since April 2021 with a 3-1 win against Arsenal and they'll be hoping to continue their strong form, but City represent their biggest challenge of the season yet.

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Pep Guardiola's side has scored the most goals in the Premier League this term (23) and Erling Haaland has proved to be prolific, which means Raphael Varane and Linsadro Martinez, who are expected to start in defence, will need to keep him quiet.

In terms of early team news, Harry Maguire has been ruled out of the match while Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford face late fitness tests ahead of the clash.

Here's how our MEN writers think United should line up.

Samuel Luckhurst

Ten Hag was not completely clear with his team news bulletin and you half-wonder whether there was a deliberate dash of the cloak and dagger about it.

To start Martial when he has played 45 minutes in two months would be extreme, however superb he was during that half against Liverpool in August. Martial is certainly more suited to the No.9 role than Rashford but the latter has thrived through Ten Hag's in-game management of moving him to the left and he is possibly the fresher forward. It is a measure of Ten Hag's impact that starting Rashford or Martial over Cristiano Ronaldo has become advisable.

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