Manchester United head to the Gtech Community Stadium on Sunday to take on Brentford in a Premier League showdown, with one eye firmly on their European ambitions.
Fresh from a sensational 3-0 demolition of Athletic Bilbao in Spain, the Red Devils are riding a wave of momentum.
With just 90 minutes standing between them and a place in the UEFA Europa League final, manager Ruben Amorim is expected to shuffle his pack.
The Portuguese head coach confirmed that he will rest key players to keep them fresh for the crucial second leg at Old Trafford on May 8.
He said (via ManUtd.com): “The first thing is that the players who are in risk to get injury will not play. no matter what.
“There are some positions that we don’t have more players. For example, Nous Mazraoui cannot play. He’s in the limit to get an injury.
“Our focus is more on saving players and trying to be competitive. It’s not a good thing to say, but we need to understand the context.”
Mazraoui put in an impressive 7/10 performance in United’s stunning victory over Athletic.
Tasked with shutting down the electric Nico Williams, the Moroccan executed his role flawlessly from the right wing-back position.
He kept Williams quiet throughout, denying the Spanish winger time and space to work his magic.
He floated a precise low cross to Rasmus Hojlund which eventually led to a penalty and a red card for Dani Vivian.
The 27-year-old nearly added his name to the scoresheet with a thunderous effort from the edge of the box that cannoned off the crossbar.
With Diogo Dalot already sidelined through injury, Mazraoui’s absence will leave a glaring hole on the right flank.
Patrick Dorgu is currently the favourite to slot in, but Amorim could dip into the academy to rest the young Dane ahead of the midweek decider.
The highly-rated 18-year-old Jayadan Kamason is in line for a potential debut after starring for United’s youth sides this season.
He was on the bench against Athletic Bilbao but did not get the chance to feature in the 3-0 win.
