Southampton v Manchester United: Issues and Decisions That Will Shape EPL Game
Manchester United can go third in the Premier League table with a win away to Southampton on Monday night.
Victory would be United's fifth in a row and continue their impressive recent form after wins over Crystal Palace, Arsenal, Hull and Stoke.
A few weeks ago, the trip to St Mary's looked a little more daunting than it does now. Louis van Gaal's team recorded their first away win of the season at the Emirates and Southampton have lost consecutive games against Manchester City and Arsenal.
Here are the key issues that will shape United's Premier League clash with Southampton. Feel free to use the comments section below to add your own.
Wayne Rooney's Knee
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Wayne Rooney has been passed fit for United's trip to Southampton after picking up a knee injury against Hull. He'll almost certainly start after missing just one game.
But Van Gaal has a decision to make about where he plays, either leading the line as a striker or sitting a little deeper. Either way, it means James Wilson, who started in Rooney's absence against Stoke, is likely to be back on the bench.
David De Gea's Form
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United haven't defended particularly well this season. But it doesn't matter as much when your goalkeeper is in the form of his life.
Stoke should probably have left Old Trafford on Tuesday night with a point, but David De Gea made a fantastic late save from Mame Biram Diouf's header and United won a fourth game in a row. Southampton will have to come up with something special if they're going to beat him.
Southampton's Back Line
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Southampton conceded three against Manchester City in their last game at St Mary's, but they've still got the best defensive record in the league.
They've only let in 10 all season, three fewer than Chelsea and six fewer than United. Van Gaal's team have been winning games recently, but they've lacked a little bit of a cutting edge. They'll need to find it if they hope to break down a well-organised Southampton side.
Van Gaal's System
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After two substitute appearances, Van Gaal might be tempted to throw Radamel Falcao in from the start against Southampton. Rooney, Van Persie and Falcao have only started together twice this season. They're all fit and available for the game at St Mary's and Falcao especially is in desperate need of match fitness before the busy Christmas schedule.
United's Full-Backs
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In the last two games against Hull and Stoke, Van Gaal has been forced to use two wingers, Ashley Young and Antonio Valencia, at full-back. Neither are particularly defensively-minded, but Hull and Stoke weren't able to expose them. Southampton have got plenty of pace out wide and Ronald Koeman will be keen to see Young and Valencia pegged back rather than bombing forward.
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