How Manchester United Will Line Up at Liverpool

It almost seems too early in the season to be having these titanic showdowns.

Manchester United fought their way to a 0-0 draw with Chelsea last Monday in a game that was a damp squib of a spectacle.

The Blues set up for a draw, and got what they wanted at Old Trafford.

One can safely assume Brendan Rodgers' young Liverpool team will play with far more attacking purpose on Sunday.

The Reds (from Merseyside, that is) are two-from-two this season, having claimed back-to-back 1-0 wins over Stoke City and Aston Villa.

They look a far different proposition from the team that spluttered their way to seventh last term.

With Liverpool's Coutinho and Daniel Sturridge in top form, the Red Devils will need to be at their best to get a result from the bitter cauldron that is Anfield.

David Moyes' team selection will be key.

He has seemed to favour the young British stock so far. Tom Cleverley and Danny Welbeck have been decent, but their repeated selection in the place of Shinji Kagawa is almost alarming.

However, the purpose of this article is not to suggest how United should line up against Liverpool, but to predict Moyes' thought process.

Here's how the team sheet might look:

The side's defence virtually picks itself.

Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic have looked back to their imperious best so far this campaign.

The return of the latter from nearly a year out through injury last December instantly transformed the fortunes of the back line.

Vidic is the best defender in the Premier League, bar none. He is certainly in the top two or three in Europe too.

Rafael is an injury doubt ahead of the game, so Phil Jones is likely to start his third league game in a row. It is clear that Moyes shares Sir Alex Ferguson's optimism regarding the immense potential of the lad who has been regularly compared to one Duncan Edwards.

Patrice Evra, who is getting a bit of a raw deal with all this Leighton Baines speculation, will line up at left-back.

Michael Carrick and Cleverley remain the Red Devils' first choice central midfield partnership.

Moyes and the club suits may be desperate to bring in a player in this position before the transfer window slams shut, but this certainly won't happen before Sunday afternoon.

The one potential surprise may be Ashley Young starting in the place of Welbeck.

Young looked decent for once in his brief cameo against Chelsea, and is nearing full fitness. Moyes would prefer to have two natural wingers marauding up-and-down the flank as opposed to a converted striker.

Kagawa's misery on the bench will continue as Rooney's place in the team is almost guaranteed. Moyes will not want to leave Rooney out for arguably the biggest game of the season, risking alienating him even further.

It is a sad state of affairs that appeasing the England international is more important than promoting a young, world class trequartista, but so it goes.

And who else but Robin van Persie to lead the team's attack? The Dutchman will be the Red Devils' best shot at firing them to glory.

But at the end of the day. fans will take a winning goal from any source.

Who do you think will play this Sunday?

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