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Manchester Evening News
Manchester Evening News
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Dan Brown

Martinez and Sancho start - Man United fans name line-up they want to see vs Barcelona

Manchester United supporters have called on Erik ten Hag to start Lisandro Martinez against Barcelona on Thursday night, while also backing Jadon Sancho to feature.

Ten Hag's side drew 2-2 with the Catalan giants in the first leg of their Europa League play-off tie, thanks to a Marcus Rashford strike and an own goal from Jules Kounde. United welcome Xavi's men to Old Trafford for the reverse leg on Thursday night, with a place in the knockout stages of the competitions up for grabs.

The Reds are the only side in England still competing on all four fronts and are desperate to win their first trophy since 2017. The clash with Barcelona comes in the same week that Ten Hag's men face Newcastle in the Carabao Cup final.

ALSO READ: How United should line up vs Barcelona in Europa League second leg

United could be boosted by the returns of Antony and Harry Maguire. The Brazilian attacker has missed the last four matches with a leg injury, while club captain Maguire sat out the win over Leicester on Sunday with a knee problem.

With a place in the knockout stages of the Europa League on offer, United fans are keen for Ten Hag to go as strong as possible with his team selection. Here's how MEN-reading United fans think the team should line up against Barcelona:

Goalkeeper - David de Gea

The Spanish goalkeeper made a wonderful save to deny former Leeds man Raphinha in the first leg, and he was also in great form in the Premier League win over Leicester City at the weekend. Unsurprisingly, then, Reds supporters have backed David de Gea to start against the Catalan giants on Thursday.

Defenders - Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Lisandro Martinez, Raphael Varane, Luke Shaw

With Aaron Wan-Bissaka having performed well last week, the English right-back is being backed to start in the second leg.

At the heart of defence, Lisandro Martinez and Raphael Varane remain the first-choice centre-back pairing and should therefore both start against Xavi's side. The Argentine centre-back was suspended for the first leg, and while Shaw played well in his absence, Ten Hag will be keen to get the World Cup winner back into his side, with Shaw shifting out to left-back.

Midfielders - Casemiro, Bruno Fernandes, Marcel Sabitzer

United are still without Christian Eriksen and Donny van de Beek, but the return of Marcel Sabitzer is massive. The loan midfielder missed the first leg through suspension, but Reds fans want him to start in place of Fred against Barcelona. He has impressed alongside Casemiro in recent weeks, and the pair could be crucial if United are to progress.

Fernandes, meanwhile, has been one of the club's standout players this season. The Portuguese ace grabbed two assists in the win over Leicester and was at the heart of a lot of the good things United did against Barcelona last week. The midfielder has registered seven goals and nine assists in all competitions this term.

Forwards - Jadon Sancho, Wout Weghorst, Marcus Rashford

Sancho has started the last two matches for the Reds, and the England international was on target at the weekend. He has shown signs of returning to his best since coming back into the first-team set-up. With Antony having been sidelined with an injury, it would come as a surprise to see the former Ajax man start ahead of Sancho.

Wout Weghorst played in a deeper role in the first leg against Barcelona, and while his goal return has been underwhelming since his arrival in January, he is almost certain to start on Thursday night. The Dutchman, to his credit, has allowed Rashford to play with a bit more freedom in attack, and the England ace - who scored in the first leg - will be looking to guide the Reds into the knockout stages.

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