4 Manchester United players who could start against Real Sociedad

Manchester United will travel to Spain to face Real Sociedad in their final Group stage game of the UEFA Europa League 2022-23 season on Thursday, 3rd November.

The Red Devils will be eager to secure all three points as a win with a good goal difference could guarantee them a top-spot finish in Group E.

Real Sociedad defeated Manchester United 1-0 in the first leg of this encounter, which was played on the 8th of September at Old Trafford.

However, due to a number of fixtures coming thick and fast, Erik Ten Hag might be looking to rotate the squad in this clash as the Red Devils have already secured a spot in the next round of the competition.

As such, we will take a look at the four Manchester United players who are most likely to start against Real Sociedad.

#4 Tyrell Malacia

The recent resurgence of Luke Shaw in the defense has made Malacia the second-choice option in the left-back position.

Malacia has made just seven Premier League appearances for the Red Devils so far, but he has featured in all five of Manchester United's Europa League games this season.

Ten Hag might be looking to rest Shaw for the team's crucial Premier League fixture against Aston Villa this weekend as the Red Devils have already secured qualification for the next round of the Europa League competition with 12 points in five games.

#3 Alejandro Garnacho

The Argentine was in the starting XI for the first time this season in the Red Devils' 3-0 win over Sheriff Tiraspol on October 27 and he performed well on the night!

However, neither Antony nor Jadon Sancho were spotted in the Manchester United squad that trained for the forthcoming game against Real Sociedad.

This is a strong indication that Garnacho is in contention to feature on the left-wing for the Red Devils.

#2 Harry Maguire

After a disappointing start to the campaign at centre-back and an injury which kept him out for several weeks, Maguire might be looking to fight for his place in the starting XI.

The skipper registered his first start in several weeks for the Red Devils in their 1-0 win over West Ham United on the 30th of October.

His impressive performance against West Ham United last weekend put him in strong contention to start for the Red Devils against Real Sociedad.

Raphael Varane's injury is another indication that Maguire might partner Lisandro Martinez at centre-back against Real Sociedad.

#1 Cristiano Ronaldo

The Portuguese international is one of the players who is expected to start against Real Sociedad.

Ronaldo has featured in all five of Manchester United's Europa League games and is arguably Ten Hag's main attacking option in the second tier European competition this season.

The 37-year-old is familiar with Real Sociedad due to his experience with Real Madrid in La Liga.

His leadership and attacking prowess makes him one of the key players that are expected to start for Manchester United in this encounter.

About the author

Abel is an European football journalist who focuses primarily on analysis pieces and preview copies at Sportskeeda. A B.Sc degree holder in Economics, he has a previous work experience of 3 years – a year at Opera News Hub where he was promoted as a 'Verified Sports Writer,’ and over two years at Sportskeeda as a revenue-share writer, where his writing skills have ultimately led him to be integrated into the in-house team.

A Manchester United fan who grew up in a family of Red Devils supporters, he started his journey as an ardent football fan in his childhood. He used to spend hours watching the sport with his family and developed a knack for writing about the beautiful game over the years.

He is a huge admirer of Paul Pogba owing to the midfielder's ability to thread passes from anywhere on the pitch and his favorite manager is Jose Mourinho due to the Portuguese's tactical mind. He feels France's triumph in 2018 is his all-time favorite World Cup moment, and reckons Lamine Yamal and Endrick could replicate the rivalry between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Abel always strives to verify information, especially statistics, before penning a word and offers constructive but not defamatory criticisms. Apart from Europe's top five leagues, he follows the Eredivisie and the Primeira Liga. He loves to spend his free time playing video games like EA FC and watching movies.

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