Leicester City host Manchester United in a Premier League showdown on Sunday as Ruud van Nistelrooy seeks revenge against his former club.
The Foxes are resigned to relegation, even if Ruud van Nistelrooy thinks Leicester can survive, despite losing 12 of their last 13 league matches.
Last time out, Leicester lost 1-0 against Chelsea, but the Dutchman was encouraged by his side’s performance, particularly in defence.
Goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer praised Mads Hermansen for saving Cole Palmer’s penalty, and the Danish shot-stopper will need to be on guard against Ruben Amorim’s side on Sunday.
Indeed, Leicester will need to shut down Bruno Fernandes, who scored a hat-trick against Real Sociedad on Thursday to send United into the Europa League quarter-finals.
So, with that said, here’s how Leicester could lineup against the Red Devils.
Leicester City predicted lineup against Man United
It was an improved display at Stamford Bridge last weekend, and luckily, Van Nistelrooy picked up no fresh injury concerns.
Abdul Fatwau remains the only injured player, and he’s been sidelined since November, although he is making good progress with his recovery.
Speaking of long-term absentees, right-back Ricardo Pereira made his long-awaited return to action after being out for four months, coming off the bench for the final five minutes to replace James Justin.
It’s handed Van Nistelrooy a tough decision to make, as while Justin impressed against Chelsea in his new wing-back role, Pereira is better suited to the position as he offers more quality in attack.
So, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the Portuguese start this weekend, which is why he’s one of two changes, with Stephy Mavididi being the other.
Mavididi should replace Patson Daka in the starting lineup, deploying him in a free role behind Jamie Vardy and alongside Bilal El Khannouss.
Ruud van Nistelrooy praises Ricardo Pereira
In the loss at Chelsea, Van Nistelrooy experimented with a three man defence and it made Leicester look much more solid.
The Dutchman even admitted that Pereira’s return was the reason for the change in system, explaining during Friday’s pre-match press conference.
“Really good,” Van Nistelrooy said of the defender being back. “We changed the structure to push for a goal. In his role as the inverted full back he helped move us forward, creating some chances. He’s a great player and professional. It’s great to have him back.”
Van Nistelrooy’s praise for Pereira suggests he could start against United and given he’s improvement on Justin, this is a bold change he has to make.