Tomorrow night, Manchester United travel to take on Grimsby Town in the Second Round of the Carabao Cup
So far, The Red Devils haven’t been off to the best start in the Premier League, having lost 1-0 to Arsenal then recording a 1-1 draw with Fulham, seeing them sit in 16th place in the league table.
Grimsby however are sat in fourth in League two, having recorded wins over Crawley TOn, Newport Couty and Walsall, and draws against Harrogate Town and Accrington Stanley.
That said, despite failing to get a win since returning from their undefeated pre-season training, United are the clear favourites for the match, giving Ruben Amorim a chance to rotate his squad to give some of the fringe players and those slotting into the squad a chance for more game time.
As such, we take a look at who is likely to be getting their first start for Manchester United this season, lining up against Grimsby Town.
Benjamin Sesko
First up comes United’s new striker, Benjamin Sesko.
The Slovenia international moved from RB Leipzig in the final week of the pre-season, missing out on their last friendly against Fiorentina.
As such, the game against Grimsby offers Amorim a great chance to field the striker and give him a good run-out and build some experience alongside his new teammates.
Andre Onana
Next up is Amorim’s first choice goalkeeper Andre Onana.
There’s been a lot of speculation over the goalkeeper department at Old Trafford, with things only becoming more uncertain when Onana suffered a hamstring injury at the start of pre-season training.
However, the Cameroon international is back with the squad, yet Altay Bayindir has been selected to lead the Red Devils in goal for both of their opening two Premier League fixtures this season.
As such, similarly to Sesko, facing Grimsby as a lower level opponent could be a good opportunity for Onana to get gametime to complete his recovery and build some confidence between the sticks.
Harry Maguire
Last season saw Harry Maguire have an absolute resurgence under Ruben Amorim, making it odd that he’s yet to start a game this season.
The centre-back was not only vital in defence at points last season, however also delivered some impressive performances in the final third, grabbing four goals and an assist, including the dramatic winner against Lyon in the second-leg of the Europa League Quarter-Finals.
With Maguire being so strong under Amorim last season, starting more often than not, it is surprising to see him relegated to the bench for both of the opening fixtures.
However, that all could change if Amorim decides to mix things up for the Carabao Cup clash.
Kobbie Mainoo
Over the last few days, the future of Kobbie Mainoo has been up in the air following his significant fall down the United pecking order.
Under Erik ten Hag, Mainoo was a routine starter, even getting a call-up for England for Euro 2024 where he started in the final for the Three Lions.
However, after being relegated to the bench after returning from injury in December, Mainoo has now been an unused substitute for both of United’s games so far, with Amorim not playing him due to concerns over his speed and lack of intensity in the game.
Alongside this, Amorim seemingly isn’t sure where to play Mainoo in his system, however, the fixture against Grimsby could give the Portuguese manager a chance to test Mainoo in his system one last time before deadline day, with his future at United seemingly in the balance.
Ayden Heaven
Finally is Ayden Heaven, the talented teenager signed from Arsenal last season who fought his way into the senior squad.
As a left-footed centre-back, Heaven is naturally suited to slot into the back three on the left-hand-side, currently being occupied by Luke Shaw.
With Amorim routinely selecting Leny Yoro as his designated right-centre-back in the back three, it shows the Portuguese manager is keen to give the opportunity to his youngsters for them to develop further.
As such, Amorim could opt to rest Shaw, who’s routinely been plagued with injury over the last two seasons, to give Heaven a run-out to build confidence and slot into his defensive line.
