Manchester Derby: Assesing options off the bench
Most of the speculation surrounding Saturday’s Manchester Derby concerns who City will play upfront to replace the suspended Sergio Aguero.
However, with only one goal scored in the last two editions of the Manchester Derby, the personnel changes available to Jose Mourninho and Pep Guardiola off the bench may prove pivotal in the outcome.
With both managers known for their meticulous preparation and each team’s threats so obvious, the difference in the game may just come down to who uses their reinforcements most effectively.
In assessing the potential for success off the bench, below are presumed starting line-ups based off previous matches.
At United, Mourinho has largely stuck with the following so far in a 4-2-3-1: De Gea, Valencia, Blind, Bailly, Shaw, Fellaini: Pogba, Martial: Rooney, Mata and Ibrahimovic. Seven of these players have played all 270 league minutes so far.
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City are obviously trickier given Guardiola’s tinkering with his full-backs, the absence of Aguero and multiple injuries. Still, the inclusion of Kelechi Iheanacho as a straight replacement seems the most likely come Saturday afternoon local time. Guardiola has generally opted for a 4-3-3 along these lines: Caballero, Zabaleta, Stones, Otamendi, Clichy: Silva, Fernandinho, De Bruyne: Sterling, Nolito and, of course in this instance, Iheanacho.
For United Luke Shaw and Marouane Fellaini missed at least some of their respective nation’s matches during the international break but both are set to get the all clear to play.
The obvious advantage lies with United who already have a match-winner off the bench this season in Marcus Rashford, who poached a dramatic late winner in their last league outing against Hull City. So impressive was his 20 minute cameo against the Tigers that there is speculation he may get the start over misfiring Anthony Martial.
Either way, whoever starts, the other offers the potential for a decisive intervention off the bench.
The great unknown so far this season for United is the influence of Henrikh Mkhitaryan. In 60 minutes as a substitute he has completed 37 passes and taken four shots, good enough for sixth overall in United’s line-up.
United presumably haven’t spent 27M for a serial replacement but if Mkhitaryan can provide some kind of telling influence from the bench at Old Trafford it might kick-start his career in Manchester.
Former England international Ashley Young rode the bench in the last couple of league outings for United but at this stage of his career, it’s hard to imagine there is another decisive contribution in the armory.
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Across the dugout the options for City are less clearly defined but certainly more intriguing. Nolito looks to have overtaken Jesus Navas as the preferred option in wide support of the central striker and it appears more likely that Navas’ spell at City is going to end in unfulfilled potential.
His place on the bench Saturday may go to one of two new signings yet to play a league minute this season due to injury. Reports from the Etihad suggest both Ilkay Gundogan and Leroy Sane will be available for at least some of the Manchester Derby.
In that instance, the unknown impetus of a league debut for either, or both, might just be enough to swing the tie in City’s favor.
On the defensive side should each manager need to protect a lead late on, Mourinho will look to Chris Smalling, Marcos Rojo or even Morgan Schneiderlin to shore up the area in front of the center backs.
City, meanwhile, may hold the wildcard in the form of talismanic captain Vincent Kompany.
In the biggest Manchester Derby in years, what happens around the pitch is going to be as intriguing as what occurs on it.
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