Why Harry Maguire and Jonny Evans started for Manchester United vs Aston Villa
Erik ten Hag has freshened up his Manchester United side for their Premier League clash with Aston Villa on Sunday afternoon.
United have made three changes from the 3-3 draw with Porto in midweek as Harry Maguire, Jonny Evans, Kobbie Mainoo and Alejandro Garnacho came in for Matthijs de Ligt, Lisandro Martinez, Casemiro and Amad Diallo.
It says so much about how poor United’s defence was in Portugal that Ten Hag signings De Ligt and Martinez were both dropped for Maguire and Evans instead, though the manager insists their inclusion was merely down to rotational purposes amid a packed fixture schedule.
Speaking ahead of the match, Ten Hag explained his line up and why he had made changes in central defence: “Rotation. We have so many games to cover so we have to bring them all in. You look at the opponent and then you make a choice. There is always pressure,” he told Sky Sports.
When further pressed on the task in hand at Villa Park, he added: “Every game is important, so don’t make it too big. We are calm and composed. My players and I are very calm and focused purely on our own deficits and what we need to improve on. Aston Villa are a very good team and it’s a challenge they beat Munich. They have also made some changes and we can see what they are looking for.”
