How Manchester United could line up against Astana

Manchester United make the long trip to Astana on the cusp of securing their place in the knockout stages of the Europa League.

The Red Devils are six points clear of third-placed Partizan Belgrade and a win would confirm that they and AZ Alkmaar would progress from the group.

However, their last encounter with Astana was far from straightforward, securing just a 1-0 win at Old Trafford.

Here, Sports Mole looks at how the Red Devils could line up for Thursday's showdown.

Out: Eric Bailly (knee), Timothy Fosu-Mensah (knee), Diogo Dalot (groin), Scott McTominay (ankle), Marcos Rojo (unknown), Paul Pogba (ankle) Doubtful: Nemanja Matic (unknown), Luke Shaw (thigh)

> Click here for Manchester United's full injury and suspension list ahead of this match

Red Devils boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is set to hand a number of academy players debuts as he sends a weakened squad to Astana in an effort to protect his senior stars from the fatigue of the round trip. Only a handful of first-team players have been selected in the squad for the game, while the majority remain at home.

Third-choice goalkeeper Lee Grant is likely to get his first taste of action this season, having had to bide his time behind David de Gea and Sergio Romero, and would be one of the few senior players to feature.

Shaw and Axel Tuanzebe are both returning from injury and could be handed some valuable minutes against Astana as they look to build up their match sharpness once again, alongside youngsters Di'Shon Bernard and Ethan Laird in a back four.

James Garner has already featured for the first team this term and could be paired with exciting Wales youngster Dylan Levitt, who has already been called up by international boss Ryan Giggs.

The front four will most likely consist of players that have already featured for the club, with Angel Gomes, Jesse Lingard and Tahith Chong forming a trio behind Mason Greenwood up front.