How Manchester United should line up vs Bayern Munich in opening Champions League fixture

Manchester United will be looking for a much better performance when they travel to face Bayern Munich in their Champions League opener tonight.

Erik ten Hag's side have struggled across their opening matches of the new season and head into the match having lost their last two matches.

United will not only need a much-improved display against the reigning Bundesliga champions but must also find a way to address their problematic away record, which stems from last season.

In terms of early team news, Raphael Varane and Mason Mount returned to training but haven't made the trip, while Harry Maguire has also been ruled out.

This is how our United writers think they should line up.

Samuel Luckhurst

As limited as the options are, United cannot go with the same XI. Brighton dismantled them and Bayern Munich would, too.

Starting Facundo Pellistri would restore a more balanced midfield in Casemiro and Christian Eriksen, with Bruno Fernandes ahead of them. That is probably the only advisable change as the rest of the team largely picks itself.

Alejandro Garnacho is a potential game-changer off the bench and Hannibal Mejbri is a bustling option to call upon but the brutal reality is United have a desperate squad here in Munich.

Tyrone Marshall

When Varane and Mount trained on Tuesday morning it looked like Ten Hag would get a fitness boost for this trip. Instead, things have gone from bad to worse. Maybe that duo will be fit for Turf Moor but tonight United are turning up for a sword fight for a butter knife.

They will have three goalkeepers on the bench but Onana is the only possible starter. In defence, Evans will cover all four positions but Dalot and Reguilon are the only fit full-backs and Lindelof and Martinez have to