Manchester United faces Burnley at Old Trafford on Saturday afternoon in a Premier League match where manager Ruben Amorim is already feeling the pressure. After a disappointing start to the season, including a Carabao Cup exit to Grimsby Town, a fourth-tier team, Amorim is expected to make changes to the starting lineup.
The Red Devils have yet to win a game this season, drawing 1-1 with Fulham last week and losing to Arsenal. Meanwhile, Burnley secured their first three points with a 2-0 victory over Sunderland last weekend and advanced to the Carabao Cup third round with a 2-1 win over Derby.
One significant change expected is the introduction of Benjamin Sesko into the starting XI. The 22-year-old striker, signed from RB Leipzig, is likely to get his first Premier League start as he seeks his first goal for the club. Several other players, including Patrick Dorgu, Diogo Dalot, Bryan Mbeumo, Casemiro, and Leny Yoro, have also hinted at their involvement in the starting lineup. Andre Onana is also pushing to start in the league once more, after being benched against Fulham but playing against Grimsby.
Despite the poor start, Amorim is likely to stick with what he considers his strongest lineup. This means Kobbie Mainoo will likely start on the bench, despite calls for his inclusion. The predicted Manchester United XI is: Onana; Yoro, Maguire, Shaw; Amad, Casemiro, Fernandes, Dorgu; Cunha, Sesko, Mbeumo. The predicted substitutes are: Bayindir, Mazraoui, De Ligt, Heaven, Dalot, Ugarte, Mainoo, Mount, and Zirkzee.
Burnley, managed by Scott Parker, will be without key players Jordan Beyer, Connor Roberts, Zeki Amdouni, and Manuel Benson. Former Man Utd player Hannibal Mejbri is pushing for a start against his former club, while Armando Broja is also eager to be involved. The predicted Burnley XI is: Dubravka; Walker, Ekdal, Esteve, Hartman; Cullen, Ugochukwu; Bruun-Larsen, Hannibal, Anthony; Foster.
Amorim shared an update on his squad during his pre-match press conference. Lisandro Martinez remains unavailable due to an ACL injury, but Noussair Mazraoui could return after recovering from a knock.
The match is crucial for Amorim, who needs a win to ease the pressure. A defeat against Burnley would intensify the scrutiny, especially with tough matches against Manchester City and Chelsea coming up in September.
Manchester United will need to be at their best to overcome Burnley, who will be looking to exploit any weaknesses. According to one source, anything but a victory against Burnley will leave rainclouds above Manchester throughout the international break.