Manchester United may well leave Paul Pogba on the bench for their Premier League encounter with Tottenham Hotspur.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's men travel to Spurs on Friday night for their first game in more than three months with both Pogba and Marcus Rashford available for selection after recovering from major injuries. It had initially appeared as though the pair would miss the majority of the campaign, until the Premier League season was rescheduled into the summer because of the coronavirus pandemic.
But whereas Rashford looks likely to start at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, with the game to be played behind closed doors, there may be no place for Pogba.
Bruno Fernandes and Fred are almost automatic picks in Solskjaer's midfield, while Scott McTominay is battling with Nemanja Matic for the third spot in a likely 4-2-3-1 formation.
United's first choice back five is fairly settled, with Brandon Williams and Eric Bailly set to miss out to Luke Shaw and Victor Lindelof if Solskjaer plumps for four men across the back line in front of David de Gea.
Daniel James and Anthony Martial look good bets to complete the side.
The only players unavailable for United are defenders Phil Jones and Axel Tuanzebe, as Solskjaer confirmed while speaking in his pre-match press conference on Thursday morning.
"We have two players, it's Phil Jones and Axel will probably miss this game and the start," Solskjaer said. "Let's see how bad they are. Apart from that, the rest of the squad is fit and available.
"If selected, of course, Marcus and Paul have been out for a long, long period, but they're available. How long they're going to play for, let's see."
Solskjaer will be able to use five substitutes in the game against Jose Mourinho's side, as per the Premier League's new temporary rule for the remainder of the season. Among them will surely be Pogba, Mason Greenwood and loanee Odion Ighalo, fresh from agreeing an extension to his stay at Old Trafford from Shanghai Shenhua.
Predicted United XI vs Spurs (4-2-3-1): De Gea; Wan-Bissaka, Lindelof, Maguire, Shaw; Fred, Matic; Fernandes, James, Rashford; Martial.
