Manchester United vs. Bolton Wanderers

I'd say it will be pretty unlikely Rio will play given what he put on his Twitter.

Thankfully Evans is back. Statistically our 2nd best defender this season no?

De Gea
Rafael Smalling Evans Evra
Carrick Anderson
Valencia -- Rooney -- Nani
Hernandez​
 
Manchester United's defensive crisis continues with Nemaja Vidic (knee), Fabio da Silva (hamstring) and Chris Smalling (illness) all out.

Rio Ferdinand has a stomach illness.

Paul Scholes could make his return to Premier League action.
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From the BBC. Smalling out with an illness, again!? Or is this just lazy journalism, failing to realise he played against City?
 
Surely Smalling isn't ill again...
 
cw1984 said:
I'd say it will be pretty unlikely Rio will play given what he put on his Twitter.

Thankfully Evans is back. Statistically our 2nd best defender this season no?

De Gea
Rafael Smalling Evans Evra
Carrick Anderson
Valencia -- Rooney -- Nani
Hernandez​
Click to expand...

No Jones? If Rio's out then I'd like us to revert to the back 4 we started the season with...

RB: Smalling
CB: Jones
CB: Evans
LB: Evra
 
It would be harsh to drop Welbeck given his current form. Hopefully Smalling is fit, and de Gea is back in the lineup.
 
charlenefan said:
No Jones? If Rio's out then I'd like us to revert to the back 4 we started the season with...

RB: Smalling
CB: Jones
CB: Evans
LB: Evra
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I'd prefer Smalling in the middle and Jones wide right. We look more composed, and Jones is given more freedom to blitz forward.
 
I'd like Rafael to start as Jones has been poor the past few games, and could do with a rest.
 
charlenefan said:
No Jones? If Rio's out then I'd like us to revert to the back 4 we started the season with...

RB: Smalling
CB: Jones
CB: Evans
LB: Evra
Click to expand...

Only because Rafael needs the minutes. Bolton at home is a good opportunity for him.

Also, I don't like the idea of playing Jones and Evans in the middle against Kevin Davies.
 
Something I noticed in the City match is when Jones goes forward, Smalling slips into CB and Jones takes Smalling's place doing the overlap on the channel. So Rio was effectively playing with two partners at once, which could prove to be a bit iffy with regards to communication and game reading but if Rio, Jones and Smalling can adapt to that, it seems like it could be a good compromise to allowing Jones to make his surging runs forward, while leaving Rio's declining pace less exposed.
 
gooDevil said:
I don't think Smalling has played at RB with Jones at CB, and certainly not in the last few months.
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No, not recently given Smalling's injuries. At the beginning of the season, Smalling was pretty much our feature right back. Jones played in the center of defense.
 
Ace said:
No, not recently given Smalling's injuries. At the beginning of the season, Smalling was pretty much our feature right back. Jones played in the center of defense.
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You're right, our central defensive pairings, Smalling played at RB while Jones was at CB once Rio went down in our first game, and against Spurs, Arsenal and Chelsea, now that I think of it.
 
Jones, Smalling, Anderson all doubts for tomorrow.

If Evans-Rio are fit play them and Evra LB, Rafael RB. No point in gambling on any of the doubts. Especially as we got big games like Arsenal, Liverpool(cup), Chelsea, Liverpool in our next five fixtures.
 
---------De Gea
Rafael---Rio--Evans---Evra
Valencia-Carrick-Giggs-Nani
------Rooney-Welbeck
 
cw1984 said:
Only because Rafael needs the minutes. Bolton at home is a good opportunity for him.

Also, I don't like the idea of playing Jones and Evans in the middle against Kevin Davies.
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Is Kevin Davies back in the Bolton first XI? He was on the bench for a few games recently, iirc.
 
He'll be looking forward to ruffing up our defence without Vidic or Smalling.
 
If Anderson, Smalling and Jones are fit...........

Starting XI: De Gea - Rafael, Ferdinand, Smalling, Evra - Valencia, Carrick, Anderson, Nani - Rooney, Welbeck

Bench: Lindegaard, Jones, Evans, Scholes, Park, Chicharito, Berbatov

I would rest Giggs for Arsenal.
 
Aye. No need for Giggsy to play this one.
 
What's the chances of Smalling playing?
 
Cahill out for Bolton who's going to be in London, finally signing for Chelsea. Should be something of a boost for us.
 
I'm hoping Linda keeps his place in the starting line-up. Let's pray Kevin Davies is less of a cnut tomorrow.
 
Think Pogba might get some minutes tomorrow, depends on the fitness of Anderson and Jones.
 
ArmchairCritic said:
Think Pogba might get some minutes tomorrow, depends on the fitness of Anderson and Jones.
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Only way I can see that is from the bench if we're winning comfortably.

Personally I don't think he'll even be on the bench though.
 
cw1984 said:
Only way I can see that is from the bench if we're winning comfortably.

Personally I don't think he'll even be on the bench though.
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Well as I said it depends on the fitness of Anderson and Jones, I think we're going to rest Giggs so that leaves Carrick and Scholes, of course we might not rest Giggs at all if it is the case that Jones and Anderson aren't fit enough. It all depends but I have a feeling we will be cautious with Jones and Giggs so we could see a bench spot for Pogba.
 
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