Manchester United interim manager Ralph Lonnick is expected to reinvigorate the squad through a rotation in the Premier League at home to Watford on Saturday.
Manchester United visit madrid on Wednesday night, the first leg of the Champions League quarter-final draw with Atletico, followed by Arsenal in the Premier League play-off 2-1 Wolves, has narrowed the gap with Manchester United to one point, and two games less. However, Arsenal are not playing this weekend and United will regain a four-point lead over the Gunners if they beat Watford to achieve a three-game winning streak.
Lonnick's squad has suffered certain injuries, uruguayan striker Cavani has not returned from a groin injury, and Manchester United's new team soul McTomine has not recovered after a midweek Champions League illness, and neither of them has entered the squad against Watford.
"It's exactly the same as midweek," Longnick told Manchester United tv station MUTV, "Edinson [Edinson[Edinny] didn't train with us, so he won't play tomorrow." Scott (McTomine) is the same, he is still sick and has not practiced with the whole team, so hopefully he can resume training next week, but tomorrow's game, they will certainly not be able to compete."
Therefore, Ronaldo is expected to continue to play as a center forward, and Nemanja Matic may also compete with Pogba and Fred in the back position to start. Elsewhere, Anthony Erlanga has a great chance of being in the starting line-up after coming off the bench against Atletico, while Diogu Dalo and Wan Bissaka will compete for the right-back starting position, and Lindelof will certainly not make another cameo appearance on the right.
Speaking in his pre-match press conference, Lonnick said: "I have to stress that while it is logical that all the headlines praise Erlanga, I think the credit is not only for him. In the second half we changed the momentum and adjusted the team, not only him, but also other players and substitutes, including Nemanja Matic, who helped Manchester United change the course of the game."
Watford are currently second-to-last in the Premier League, losing 4-1 to Crystal Palace in midweek and in poor form, with United well placed to avenge the defeat in the first leg. At that time, the Hornets beat the Red Devils 4-1, causing former manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer to be overshadowed.
Lonnick said: "This game is very important, but it will be the case in almost every game in the coming weeks and we must maintain the momentum and win tomorrow's battle with Watford to lay the groundwork for the upcoming strong dialogue. Everyone knows that Saturday must be won. It makes a lot of sense for us to play game after game, now it's time to recover from the Champions League, to play at the highest level at home, hopefully to beat Watford and then we'll have a whole week to prepare for the derby against Manchester City."
United will have an eight-day break after the game against Watford as the team were eliminated in the FA Cup earlier this month by the Championship's Middlesbrough penalty shootout and will be blessed with a full week to prepare for the Manchester derby at the Etihad Stadium early next month.
After the February journey, Manchester United will have a terrifying schedule in March, with opponents including Manchester City, Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur. However, if Liverpool beat Norwich in the fifth round of the FA Cup, the double red meeting between Liverpool and Manchester United, which was scheduled for March 20, will be rescheduled.
Manchester United vs. Watford squads: De Gea, Dean Henderson, Tom Heaton; Dalo, Wan Bissaka, Varane, Maguire, Lindelof, Phil Jones, Luke Shaw, Telles; Nemanja, Fred, Pogba, Bruno Fernandez, Mata, Lingard; Marcus Rashford, Sancho, Ronaldo, Elanga.