Up to five late fitness tests will have a huge bearing on the kind of Manchester United side Erik ten Hag is able to put out against Crystal Palace on Monday.
Jonny Evans, Scott McTominay, Marcus Rashford, Bruno Fernandes, and Anthony Martial are all in with a chance of making the starting XI but it is a race against time for them all.
The least likely of these to make the starting line-up is Martial, as he has been out of action for three months and will not be match fit. There is a chance he will make the bench but even this might be a week away.
Evans has returned to training after a much shorter layoff and Ten Hag said at Thursday’s presser “Jonny returned today in the team training and tomorrow, we will see if it is enough before the two days before the game.”
McTominay will only return to training today (Saturday), with the manager saying “Then we will have to see up to the game if he is 100 per cent available or for [only] a part in the game.”
Fernandes has been photographed wearing a protective boot and is rated 50/50 for the game by Premierinjuries.com.
Meanwhile as of Thursday, Ten Hag did not know when Rashford would return to training, so he must rank as highly unlikely to make the game at this stage.
In predicting the team for Monday’s game, we have assumed that none of the five will make the starting XI.
Andre Onana will be in goal.
Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Harry Maguire, and Diogo Dalot should continue in defense. Casemiro is likely to once again partner Maguire unless Evans does make it, in which case the Brazilian will revert to his usual midfield role.
That will otherwise be taken by Christian Eriksen unless McTominay, in turn, has sufficiently recovered. Sofyan Amrabat is another option but is unlikely to get the nod.
Kobbie Mainoo will take up the other holding midfield role.
Further upfield, Mason Mount could finally start a game for the first time since November if Fernandes is absent.
Alejandro Garnacho is expected to continue on the left wing and Antony on the right, with Rasmus Hojlund up front.
With all that in mind, here is our predicted line-up for Monday night’s game:
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