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The Red Devils have not been helped

by injuriesin their recent run of poor form

, and the problem still remains. They

have a chance to get their season back

on track when they host third-placed

Chelsea in the Premier League on Thursday.

Their opponents have not won at Old

Trafford since 2017, and their recent

form does not suggest they will do it

this time either.

Manchester United set to miss

several key players on Thursday

In his pre-match press conference, Manchester

United interim boss Ralf Rangnick announced

that several of his players will be unavailable

for Thursday's match.

Chief among the absentees is Paul Pogba,

who Rangnick has declared as unlikely to

feature this season. The German tactician

will look to deploy the best available players

in order to secure Champions League

football for the club.

Without further ado, here is how Manchester

United could line up against Chelsea.

Goalkeeper: David de Gea

David de Gea has been a regular between

the sticks for Manchester United this

season, just as he has been for the past

decade or so.

The experienced goalkeeper fought off

competition from Dean Henderson to

remain his side's first choice between

the sticks.

De Gea has been one of the club's better

performers in what has been a disappointing

campaign. He has played 42 times for

the Red Devils across all competitions

this season, only missing three matches.

34 of those appearances came in the

Premier League.

Right-Back: Diogo Dalot

With Aaron Wan-Bissaka doubtful for the match, Diogo Dalot is in line to start against Chelsea. Since Rangnick's appointment on an interim basis, the Portuguese defender has seen a greater amount of playing time.

Dalot has played 20 times for the Red Devils in the Premier League this season and has proven to be a dependable deputy at right-back. He will need to be at his best against a Chelsea side that have a variety of attacking combinations.

Center-Back: Raphael Varane

Raphael Varane has been a regular at the

heart of Manchester United's backline since

joining the club from Real Madrid in 2021

. However, the Frenchman has not had a

very enjoyable time in the Premier League

due to injuries and his side's form.

Varane's experience and quality will

be needed in Thursday's match if the Red

Devils are to keep Chelsea's attackers

at bay. The 29-year-old has made 19

appearances in the Premier League

this season.

Center-Back: Victor Lindelof

With captain Harry Maguire sidelined

due to a knee injury, Victor Lindelof is

set to take his place. The Swede has featured

consistently for the Red Devils this season

. He has made 24 Premier League appearances

for the side so far.

The 27-year-old defender has consistently

shown his quality since the start of the

season. He will need to be at the top

of his game for the Red Devils if they are

to pick up a good result from the game.

Left-Back: Alex Telles

Alex Telles is set to start for Manchester

United when they face Chelsea, with

regular left-back Luke Shaw out injured.

The Brazil international is a regular attacking

threat for the Red Devils and has three

assists to his name this season.

Telles will be looking to deliver a quality

performance for his side in a bid to

prevent Shaw from returning to the

starting line-up.

Telles, like the other players, will be

hoping to impress incoming manager

Erik ten Hag with a good performance

in this game.

Defensive Midfield: Nemanja Matic

Veteran midfielder Nemanja Matic is

expected to start in the middle of the

park for Manchester United. His experience

and ability will be important for the side

, with Brazilian midfielder Fred out injured.

Matic has made 20 Premier League appearances

for the Red Devils in what will be his

final season at the club.

The vastly experienced midfielder will

have his work cut out for him against

Chelsea, but his calmness can help

his side control the midfield.

Central Midfield: Scott McTominay

Following the injury to Fred, Scott

Mctominay will be expected to provide

some bite and energy to Manchester United's

midfield. The 25-year-old is known for

his energetic displays and willingness

to give his all on the pitch, and that is

what the Red Devils need in Thursday's game.

The Scottish midfielder learned his trade

at the club and epitomizes the fighting

spirit required of Manchester United players.

McTominay has had a couple of good

battles against Chelsea in the past. He

will be looking for more of the same

in this game.

Attacking Midfield: Fernandes

After playing a particularly disappointing

game against Arsenal at the weekend,

Bruno Fernandes will be looking to

bounce back immediately against Chelsea.

The stand-in captain missed a penalty

and a number of chances in his side's defeat

at the Emirates. He will hope to deliver

an improved performance against the Blues.

Fernandes has had a mixed season in

terms of performance. He started the

season in very good form before dropping

off as the campaign progressed.

Nevertheless, Fernandes remains one

of the side's biggest attacking threats.

Right Winger: Anthony Elanga

Anthony Elanga made his first-team

breakthrough after Rangnick's appointment

and has continued to impress for the

team since then. The 20-year-old adds a

different dimension to the Red Devils'

attack and will be looking to make an

impact in Thursday's game.

Elanga has made 17 Premier League

appearances for Manchester United

this season, with two goals and an assist

to his name.

Left Winger: Marcus Rashford

Marcus Rashford has had a subdued

season since returning from his shoulder

surgery-enforced layoff.

The England international has struggled

to make an impact for the Red Devils since

, with only four goals in 24 Premier League

appearances. With Jadon Sancho ruled

out, he is expected to return to the starting XI.

Chelsea are one of Rashford's favorite

opponents in the Premier League, and

the forward will look to reignite his

form against them.

The Englishman will hope to extend

his goalscoring record against the Blues

with another good performance.

Striker: Cristiano Ronaldo

Despite being one of the oldest members of the

Manchester United squad, Cristiano Ronaldo

is still the most important player on the team.

The talismanic forward leads the side's

goalscoring charts and has helped keep

them in the hunt for Champions League

football.

Ronaldo has scored 16 goals in 27 Premier

League appearances for the Red Devils

. The 37-year-old has singlehandedly

scored his side's last four goals in

the Premier League.