Sunderland legend Kevin Ball selects his ones to watch within Manchester United’s all-star ranks ahead of this weekend’s Super Sunday clash.
Injuries: Ashley Young (doubt), Wayne Rooney (doubt), Juan Mata (doubt), Chris Smalling (doubt), Phil Jones (doubt).
Zlatan Ibrahimovic
Born to win. Destined to impress. What else can you say about Zlatan Ibrahimovic that hasn’t already been said? The Swedish superstar is a phenomenal talent who has been there and done it wherever he’s played, and now he’s taking the Premier League by storm. Back from a ban, the striker scored a last-gasp equaliser midweek and once again underlined his importance to the team. Lamine Kone and John O’Shea won’t face a tougher task this season and Ibrahimovic will be the key to United’s top four hopes.
David de Gea
Heading into Sunday’s game, the list of strikers who have failed to score against Manchester United this season is staggering. Sergio Aguero, Harry Kane, Romelu Lukaku, Alexis Sanchez, Theo Walcott, Diego Costa, Dele Alli, Son Heung-Min and Jermain Defoe – England’s top nine scorers in all competitions – have yet to score against the Red Devils this season. As a team that is some effort, but David de Gea deserves immense credit for his continued excellence between the posts. Only Thibaut Courtois has kept more clean sheets than the Spaniard’s 11, with Chelsea and Spurs the only sides to concede less goals than United. Jermain Defoe will be out to shatter the record I mentioned before, but it won’t be easy against one of the world’s best stoppers.
Antonio Valencia
Very few players enjoy the kind of longevity at Manchester United that Antonio Valencia has had. When he arrived from Wigan Athletic in 2009 he was a typical winger with blistering pace, but, to suit the teams’ needs, he reverted to right-back and over the last eight years he’s made the position his own. It takes a terrific amount of hard work and dedication to switch positions at any club, but to do it at a club like Man Utd is something special. He’s made over 200 Premier League appearances for the Red Devils – and pushing 300 in all competitions – winning two titles, two League Cups and an FA Cup, and he’s showed no signs of slowing down, so I expect he’s far from done.
Paul Pogba
There seems to be a real fuss around Paul Pogba at the moment, but to be honest I think it’s more a failing to understand him as a player than a lack of impact since his return to Old Trafford. The price tag is eye-watering and. of course. that comes with added expectation, but United were never paying for an free-scoring forward, they were paying for a long-term midfield stalwart. Only Jordan Henderson has completed more PL passes than Pogba and he’s scored seven goals this season, while clattering the crossbar seven times – those fine margins will eventually fall in his favour. He’s also won the EFL Cup and could yet lift the FA Cup and the Europa League. Could this be achieved without Pogba? I’m not so sure…
Ander Herrera
At the other end of the spectrum is a player who entered the season under the radar, yet Ander Herrera has arguably been United’s most-consistent performer. The Spaniard has really come into his own under the stewardship of Jose Mourinho, making more successful tackles and interceptions than any of his team-mates. Only Pogba has completed more passes and he’s also popped up with three PL assists, so he’s be vital to their success and he will play a key role up against Lee Cattermole and co this weekend.