Erik Ten Hag will welcome Xavi Hernandez and Barcelona to Old Trafford on Thursday night for the second leg of their Europa League tie and will have a wider pool of options to choose from as several first-team players missed the first leg in Spain.
The former Ajax boss managed to grind out a 2-2 draw with Barcelona at the Nou Camp despite missing seven major first-team players due to suspension and injuries.
Ahead of the second leg on Thursday night, the manager has received a major boost as two players who missed the trip to Barcelona will be available for the reverse fixture, while another injured star trained alone on Tuesday.
Marcel Sabitzer and Lisandro Martinez both missed the first leg due to suspension but would be expected to return to the starting lineup on Thursday night, especially Lisandro Martinez.
Antony Santos reportedly trained alone on Tuesday, and the Brazilian shared a picture of himself to announce his return on Instagram. Harry Maguire could probably miss the clash against Barcelona; the team captain was claimed to have suffered a major setback by Erik Ten Hag after the 29-year-old missed out on the matchday squad list for the Premier League clash with Leicester City last Sunday.
Casemiro will return to his defensive midfield duties after serving the last of his three-match ban in the Premier League last Sunday; meanwhile, Erik Ten Hag will be faced with the decision on who partners the Brazilian. Fred has done a great job stepping in during Casemiro, Scott McTominay, and Eriksen's absences.
But who will partner the tenacious Brazilian on Thursday night remains a debate. Scott McTominay will only hope to enter the game as a substitute, not just because of the competition for places but because he is just making his return to the team after he has been out due to injury.
That leaves both Marcel Sabitzer and Fred as the potential partners on Thursday night; both started in the 3-0 victory against Leicester City on Sunday, with Fred grabbing an assist and Marcel Sabitzer playing an important role; both seem to be the right partners for Casemiro against Barcelona.
Fred proved he is a better player for the task with his display against the Catalans during the first leg of the encounter in Spain. Despite picking up an early booking in the first half, the 29-year-old carried out his duties efficiently over the course of 90 minutes.
Fred has proven to be the better tackler of the duo, as Whoscored.com has noted; however, the Bayern Munich loanee is better with creativity and ball distribution, plus Marcel Sabitzer has a knack for long-range passes and shots; although, Fred has registered more goals and assists than the 28-year-old since he joined from Bayern Munich.
The Dutch tactician has proven over the course of the season that he knows how best to utilize the players at his disposal. His tactical tweaks, which have seen him play Wout Weghorst as a number 10 and Bruno Fernandes as a right winger, are evidence.
Erik Ten Hag already has his eye on the Thursday clash, however, he will also need his players fresh and fit for the Wembley showdown with Newcastle United on Sunday.
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