Manchester United will be bidding to make it four wins in a row in all competitions when they welcome Manchester City to Old Trafford in the Premier League on Sunday afternoon.
The Red Devils appear to have turned a corner of late, winning their last three, including successive Premier League victories over Brentford and Sheffield United.
Erik ten Hag's side are still down in eighth spot in the table, though, boasting 15 points from their opening nine matches courtesy of a record of five wins and four losses.
Man City, meanwhile, are second in the table on 21 points, two points behind leaders Tottenham Hotspur, and they have been beaten by Wolverhampton Wanderers and Arsenal in the league this term.
Both of these sides will enter the Manchester derby off the back of Champions League wins, with Man United beating Copenhagen 1-0 before Man City recorded a 3-1 victory over Young Boys.
There will be a number of the Premier League's leading players on display here, and with that in mind, Sports Mole picks a combined XI from both squads, using only players available for the clash.
In truth, it was not a difficult decision to pick the goalkeeper in this side. Andre Onana made a brilliant penalty save for Man United against Copenhagen on Tuesday, but it has been a tough start to his career at Old Trafford. Onana is sure to improve in the coming months, but Ederson is one of the best goalkeepers in the world, and the 30-year-old simply had to be included between the sticks here.
There are two Man City defenders in the side, with Kyle Walker and Ruben Dias getting the nod. Manuel Akanji is suspended and therefore not considered, while it is just too early in Josko Gvardiol's Man City career to include him, with Walker and Dias proving to be strong performers once again this term.
It would have been easy to throw a third Citizens defender into the mix, but John Stones is selected further forward, while Nathan Ake just misses out, so it is Raphael Varane in the middle. The Frenchman has again had his fitness problems this term, but he is undoubtedly one of Man United's most important players, and there is a huge difference when he is not in the side.
Lisandro Martinez would have been seriously considered had he been available, but the Argentina international is on the sidelines following a second foot operation this year, while his Man United teammate Luke Shaw has also been missing since the second matchday of the campaign due to a muscular issue.
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It is a five-man midfield, with four of those coming from Man City. The exception is Casemiro, who is selected despite not always being at his best defensively this season. The Brazil international has come up with four goals and one assist in 11 appearances this season, and he remains a vital figure for the Red Devils in the middle. Bruno Fernandes was so close to making it, but the Portuguese's form this term has been questionable.
As mentioned above, John Stones is included in midfield, having thrived further forward. The England international has only played three times this season due to a hip problem, but he is available for this match and is expected to start, with the 29-year-old's ability on the ball set to be crucial in the derby.
Rodri is arguably the best holding midfielder in world football, and his absence was felt in the recent defeat to Arsenal. The 27-year-old sails into this side, and he is joined by two more teammates in the shape of Bernardo Silva and Julian Alvarez. The former has made 10 appearances this season, while the latter has been a crucial player in Kevin De Bruyne's absence, featuring 15 times, scoring seven goals and registering five assists.
Only Erling Haaland has outscored Alvarez this term, while no Man City player has featured on more occasions than the Argentine in 2023-24, and he has now become a vital figure for the treble winners.
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Marcus Rashford's form this season has been incredibly disappointing, only managing one goal and three assists in 12 appearances in all competitions, but he was exceptional for the Red Devils last term.
The England international scored 30 goals and registered 11 assists in 56 appearances at club level in 2022-23, and this could be the perfect match for the 25-year-old to get his season up and running.
It would have been easy to leave him out of this XI, but he has also scored five times in Manchester derbies and certainly has the quality to hurt the Citizens in this match.
The final spot in the XI unsurprisingly goes to a certain Erling Haaland, who has 11 goals and two assists in 14 appearances during the 2023-24 campaign. The 23-year-old is yet to hit the heights of last term, but he has nine league goals in as many matches, and he will enter this game off the back of a brace against Young Boys in the Champions League on Wednesday night.
If Man United are to have a chance to picking up a positive result on Sunday afternoon, then they need to find a way to prevent the Norwegian from having time and space inside the penalty box.
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Matt Law
