Manchester United boss Louis van Gaal has been handed a massive selection headache ahead of the Red Devils vital Premier League trip to Stamford Bridge to face Chelsea on Saturday.
United will be without Michael Carrick, Marcos Rojo, Daley Blind and Phil Jones for the visit to south west London. That means Van Gaal has a defensive problem with centre-back Jonny Evans already ruled out through suspension.
Young Northern Irish centre-back Paddy McNair is likely to come in at the heart of the United defence alongside England international Chris Smalling. United will be boosted by the return of full-back Luke Shaw though, who is likely to replace Blind at left-back.
Carrick’s absence could also prove a major problem for United, as it leaves the Red Devils without a defensive midfielder. England captain Wayne Rooney may need to drop back into central midfield, as he did earlier this season to cover the gap.
Rooney had been operating as the lone striker for United and his redeployment in midfield means that Radamel Falcao, or Robin van Persie will be handed the lone striker role.
United heads into the clash in third-place in the Premier League table, after claiming a 4-2 victory over arch-rivals Manchester City last time out.
The Red Devils are eight points behind the Blues in the table and Jose Mourinho’s team also have a game in-hand.
Van Gaal’s team desperately needs a victory to consolidate their position in the automatic Champions League spots.
Can Manchester United claim a win at Chelsea on Saturday?
