(4-2-1-3) In the wake of injury setbacks, Erik Ten Hag has made significant changes to the starting lineup for Man United’s match against Brentford. The £35 million star will start in the attacking position, while Bruno Fernandez is unexpectedly sitting on the substitutes.

Manchester United will be seeking to conclude a five-match winless streak in all competitions when they host Brentford at Old Trafford for a Premier League match on Saturday afternoon. The two

teams will meet for the first time since March, when they played to a 1-1 draw at the Gtech Community Stadium. Mason Mount’s 96th-minute strike was cancelled out in dramatic fashion by a 99th-minute Kristoffer Ajer equalizer. Despite the club’s worst-ever start to a Premier League season, Erik ten Hag has survived the axe and lives to fight another day as Man United manager. The club has only amassed eight points and two victories in their opening seven matches. This is not the first time that he has done so. Following a seven-hour executive meeting in London just over a week ago, the Red Devils have chosen to maintain silence regarding Ten Hag’s future. The meeting was attended by members of the club’s leadership group, including Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Joel Glazer. Nevertheless, the Dutchman is currently under the spotlight and is responsible for rapidly reversing the club’s fortunes. Currently, they are 14th in the Premier League table, which places them closer to the relegation zone than the top four. Additionally, they are already 10 points behind league leaders Liverpool. Man United have been unable to secure a victory in any of their most recent five matches across all competitions since they defeated Barnsley 7-0 in the EFL Cup in mid-September. They have drawn four of these matches, including a goalless draw at Aston Villa before the international break. Man United has had little to celebrate at Old Trafford thus far this season. However, there is reason for optimism in anticipation of Saturday’s match, as they have triumphed in each of their last five home league games against Brentford by an aggregate score of 13-2. This is the first time since 1937 that they have lost at home to the Bees. In the Premier League, Brentford has established a new standard by scoring the opening goal within the first 80 seconds of each of their last four matches. The Bees were unable to defeat Manchester City, Tottenham Hotspur, or West Ham United when they scored the opening goal. However, they emerged victorious with an exhilarating 5-3 scoreline at home against basement club Wolverhampton Wanderers prior to the international break. Frank’s team has earned all 10 of their Premier League points this season on home turf and is presently ranked 11th in the table, two points ahead of their opponents Saturday, Man United, and three points behind the top four. Brentford has been defeated in their first three top-flight away matches this season, albeit against Liverpool, Man City, and Spurs. This weekend, they will travel to Old Trafford in an effort to avoid losing their first four league games on the road for the first time since 1961-62, when they lost their first nine as a third-tier club. Frank’s fearless team will relish their chances against a Ten Hag team that is struggling for form, despite the fact that they have only won one of their last 10 encounters with the Red Devils in all competitions, losing seven and conceding 24 goals. The Bees’ record against Man United does not bode well ahead of Saturday’s clash. Leny Yoro (foot), Luke Shaw (calf), and Tyrell Malacia (knee) are all still out as they continue to recover from injuries, while Harry Maguire and Kobbie Mainoo of Manchester United have been ruled out for “a few weeks” due to muscle issues. After limping off with an unspecified issue during international duty with Uruguay on Tuesday, Manuel Ugarte participated in a recovery session on Thursday. He and Mason Mount (knock) will be evaluated prior to commencement. Nevertheless, the return to training of Noussair Mazraoui, Alejandro Garnacho, and Amad Diallo could all be involved this weekend, as they recently underwent an operation to address cardiac palpitations. This has given Man United a boost. Reports have indicated that Ten Hag may employ Jonny Evans as a left-back, with Diogo Dalot transitioning to the right side of a back four. Additionally, Matthijs de Ligt and Lisandro Martinez may be summoned to serve as the starting center backs. Brentford is still grappling with the absence of Rico Henry, Josh Dasilva, Igor Thiago, and Gustavo Nunes (all knee), as well as Aaron Hickey (thigh) and Gustavo Nunes (back) due to injury. Additionally, Mathias Jensen (calf) will be unable to participate in Saturday’s contest. Nevertheless, Frank has disclosed that a late decision will be made regarding the availability of Yoane Wissa, who has resumed training after missing the last four games due to an ankle injury. Additionally, Mikkel Damsgaard (knock) and Christian Norgaard (muscle) will be evaluated after they were all unable to represent Denmark during this month’s international break. Frank has the option of implementing a three-at-the-back system against Manchester United. This would involve Sepp van den Berg, Ethan Pinnock, and Nathan Collins occupying central defense positions, while Kristoffer Ajer and Keane Lewis-Potter serve as wing-backs. Brentford’s leading scorer this season is Bryan Mbeumo, who has scored six goals in seven Premier League games, including three in his last three. He is expected to remain in the attack, alongside either Kevin Schade, Fabio Carvalho, or Wissa, dependent on his fitness. Manchester United’s potential starting lineup: Onana; Dalot, De Ligt, Martinez, Evans; Eriksen, Casemiro; Garnacho, Fernandes, Rashford; Zirkzee