Man Utd team news: Predicted XI vs Man City as Leny Yoro and Marcus Rashford calls made

Manchester United will go into Sunday’s showdown at Manchester City with a valuable shred of confidence after pulling off a late comeback to beat Viktoria Plzen in the Europa League.

New manager Ruben Amorim is collecting vital information on each of his players with each passing match. And although he may want to continue tinkering with his line-up before deciding what needs to be done in the January transfer window, nothing but his strongest group of players will do in the derby at the Etihad Stadium.

With Leny Yoro and Marcus Rashford among those on the cusp of selection, Express Sport takes you through how we expect Amorim to set out his Red Devils side…

Man Utd predicted XI vs Man City (3-4-3)

Goalkeeper: Onana

Andre Onana’s howler in Plzen could have been costly if Rasmus Hojlund did not bail the team out with two second-half goals. But the goalkeeper retains Amorim’s backing, and it would be a surprise to see Altay Bayindir start ahead of him against City.

Defence: Mazraoui, De Ligt, Martinez

Yoro is a good fit for the right-hand side of a back-three, but throwing him in at the Etihad would be a big ask of the 19-year-old, even with City in such dreary form. Noussair Mazraoui deserves to start there on merit and should get the nod.

Matthijs de Ligt and Lisandro Martinez have not been convincing in recent weeks but Amorim is likely to stick with them, given they are the most natural fits for the two remaining spots. Luke Shaw, who could play on the left, is injured.

Midfield: Amad, Mainoo, Ugarte, Dalot

Kobbie Mainoo and Manuel Ugarte undoubtedly form the duo Amorim wants to see thrive in central midfield in the long run. The manager has prior experience of working with Ugarte, and Mainoo is United’s golden boy with immense levels of talent.

Their selections would leave Casemiro and Christian Eriksen consigned to the bench, while Bruno Fernandes and Mason Mount are both more effective further forward.

Out wide, Amad Diallo has been a star turn at wing-back and he could cause City serious problems in the derby. Diogo Dalot, meanwhile, is versatile enough to play on his weaker side and add something going both ways.

Attack: Fernandes, Hojlund, Garnacho

Marcus Rashford could play on the left or up top but his form doesn’t merit a start in either position. He was subbed off with United 1-0 down on Thursday and his replacement, Hojlund, bagged a crucial brace to win the game.

The Dane is therefore in line to spearhead United’s attack at City. He has found form in recent weeks, with five goals in four games more than sufficient to keep rival forward Joshua Zirkzee on the bench.

Antony and Mason Mount may hold out faint hopes of starting in the inside-forward positions, but Fernandes and Alejandro Garnacho are fairly easy picks.