Erik ten Hag urged to bench major Manchester United star for Liverpool showdown

Erik ten Hag has received advice to exclude a crucial Manchester United player from the lineup for the upcoming Premier League showdown against Liverpool.

United welcome arch-rivals Liverpool to Old Trafford on Sunday and will be hoping to bounce back from last weekend’s defeat to Brighton.

The Red Devils began their 2024-25 campaign with a narrow 1-0 win over Fulham but conceded an injury-time goal to lose 2-1 to impressive Brighton on Saturday.

Liverpool, meanwhile, will look to make it three wins from three under Jurgen Klopp’s replacement Arne Slot.

Slot began his Anfield reign with a 2-0 win over newly-promoted Ipswich Town and then also oversaw a win in his first home game in charge, this time Brentford beaten by the same scoreline.

Ten Hag will already be busy preparing for the visit of Liverpool and has been told to make at least one change from the side that lost to Brighton by dropping Marcus Rashford.

Rashford endured a poor 2023-24 campaign and has failed to get going this season, making way at the Amex Stadium after 65 minutes and being replaced by Alejandro Garnacho.

Garnacho thought he had scored a late goal for Manchester United only to see his effort ruled out by VAR for an unfortunate offside.

But ex-England striker Darren Bent saw enough from Garnacho against Brighton – and in his second-half cameos against Fulham and Community Shield opponents Manchester City – to believe he should be starting ahead of Rashford.

‘Garnacho has got to start,’ former Premier League star Bent said on talkSPORT. ‘He’s got to start. 

‘If that means dropping Marcus Rashford then so be it. He has to start. I would play Garnacho, [Amad] Diallo and [Joshua] Zirkzee as the front three. 

‘Erik ten Hag can only protect Rashford for so long. He’s giving him every opportunity to succeed even though he’s not been playing well for a while. 

‘Garnacho changed the game in the Community Shield final, he was incredible. The energy against Fulham was great. He had a goal against Brighton that was unfortunately ruled out for that offside. 

‘He is now ready to go. As a manager, I get he’s trying to be loyal and give Rashford the chance to find his form again. But you risk losing a part of Garnacho if you keep overlooking him. 

‘In the end he’s going to get annoyed and the fans are going to get annoyed too. That has to be the front three going forward. 

‘What has Rashford shown so far? Why does he deserve to be in the team instead of Garnacho? 

‘Garnacho is so hungry to do well, he’s direct and always shows some quality. There’s no reason why Rashford should be ahead of him. 

‘I would love to hear Erik ten Hag’s reasoning but I can’t see it. At the minute Rashford is occupying a spot when there’s someone young, hungry and ready to go in that position.’ 

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