Erik ten Hag is facing a potentially critical match as Manchester United manager away to Aston Villa in the Premier League on Sunday (October 6).

Harry Maguire rescued a draw in the UEFA Europa League on Thursday with an injury-time header as the Red Devils snatched a 3-3 draw at the Estadio do Dragao after Bruno Fernandes was sent off.

The fact they earned a point from a losing position while playing with 10 men might seem a commendable result, but United held a 2-0 lead after only 20 minutes and contrived to throw away that advantage as they conceded three goals in a game for the 24th time since Ten Hag took charge in 2022.

The chaotic nature of the performance further undermined the position of the manager, whose pleas for patience are beginning to ring hollow amid an awful start to the 2024/25 season off the back off their worst-ever Premier League campaign in 2023/24.

Given Villa celebrated a famous UEFA Champions League win over Bayern Munich this week, and have had an additional day to rest and recover, the situation looks worrying for Ten Hag. What sort of team will he put together to get the result he desperately needs?

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Aston Villa vs. Man United lineups, predicted starting 11, team news

Villa have a couple of key injury concerns ahead of this clash. Midfielders Amadou Onana and Jacob Ramsey were both forced off against Bayern and are major doubts for this game, while Leon Bailey seems short of match sharpness.

That means Emery will likely need to shuffle his pack a little. Ross Barkley is a candidate to start in midfield alongside Youri Tielemans, with John McGinn sidelined with a hamstring issue. There could also be a start at last for striker Jhon Duran, who has been sensational as an impact substitute this season.

Aston Villa predicted XI (4-4-2, right to left): E. Martinez (GK) — Cash, Konsa, Torres, Maatsen — Philogene, Barkley, Tielemans, Rogers — Duran, Watkins

Injured: Onana, Ramsey, McGinn, Kamara, Mings
Suspended: None

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Ten Hag must decide how best to strike a balance between attacking threat and defensive solidity as he attempts to mastermind a result that could be critical to keeping him in the job.

Marcus Rashford was substituted at halftime of the Porto draw, which his manager described as being important for “rotation”. He will likely keep his place, while Alejandro Garnacho should come into the lineup.

Manuel Ugarte and Kobbie Mainoo could each be recalled to central midfield in a bid to shore up the middle. Captain Bruno Fernandes is eligible to start after his red card against Tottenham was overturned.

Harry Maguire‘s goal-scoring impact off the bench against Porto could see him start ahead of the struggling Matthijs de Ligt. The defence will otherwise likely be unchanged unless Tyrell Malacia or Luke Shaw finally make their returns from injury.

Man United predicted XI (4-2-3-1, right to left): Onana (GK) — Mazraoui, Maguire, L. Martinez, Dalot — Ugarte, Mainoo — Garnacho, Fernandes, Rashford — Hojlund

Injured: Malacia, Mount, Shaw, Yoro, Lindelof (doubt)
Suspended: None

What time does Aston Villa vs. Man United kick off?

This Premier League match takes place at Villa Park in Birmingham, United Kingdom and kicks off on Sunday, October 6 at 2:00 p.m. local time.

Here’s how that time translates across some of the major global territories: