Man Utd predicted line-up vs. Aston Villa: one change made as £57m defender faces lay-off

Manchester United put their recent unbeaten run to a stern test on Sunday evening when they travel to Birmingham to face fourth-placed Aston Villa in the Premier League.

Erik ten Hag’s team are undefeated in five and eased past West Ham with a 3-0 win last weekend, making this arguably their best run of form so far this season – but although Villa were knocked out of the FA Cup by Chelsea in disappointing fashion this week, they should still give United one of their toughest tests yet.

United will also have to make do without several important players, including centre-half Lisandro Martínez who will miss around two months after sustaining a serious knee injury. We’ve got all the latest updates on his condition and the rest of the team news ahead of Sunday’s match below, as well as a predicted starting line-up. And if you’re after some information for your Fantasy Premier League team, you can also catch up on our high-flying manager’s latest hints and tips column by clicking here.

Goalkeeper & Defence

Argentina defender Martínez has suffered yet another injury blow with the news that he ruptured the medial collateral ligament in his knee in the win over West Ham. The good news is that he should not require surgery and the healing process is expected to take six to eight weeks – not bad for a knee ligament injury – and may return as soon as the end of March. Sadly, United will have to get by without him this weekend, however.

Aaron Wan-Bissaka had been thought to be closing in on a return to action after missing the last two league games with a leg problem but suffered a setback when he pulled out of training on Thursday. As it stands, the former Crystal Palace man looks unlikely to take part, while Dutch full-back Tyrell Malacia will not feature as he continues his recovery from a serious knee issue.

Midfield

Further up the field, it seems unlikely that summer signing Mason Mount will be back in the line-up, with Ten Hag saying he is “not ready” to play as he recuperates from the calf injury that has kept him out of the match day squad since the middle of November.

Aside from Mount, United should have a full-strength midfield to choose from with Casemiro and Amad Diallo both back to full fitness after recent lay-offs. Christian Eriksen had been linked with a move to Galatasaray – the Turkish transfer window closes this Friday – but that now seems unlikely to happen, so the Dane should be available to play.

Forwards

The only absentee in the front line is Anthony Martial – the Frenchman has undergone surgery to fix a groin problem and is expected to miss around two months of football, with early April his anticipated return date. That means that in-form young striker Rasmus Højlund is likely to continue up front for the Red Devils, with the chance to score for the fifth Premier League game in succession on the table for the former Atalanta man.

Man Utd predicted line-up vs. Aston Villa

Onana; Shaw, Varane, Maguire, Dalot; Casemiro, Mainoo, Fernandes; Rashford, Garnacho, Højlund.