Manchester United take on Arsenal and Liverpool in the next three weeks.
Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho had a big decision to make last night about who started at centre-back.
Victor Lindelof had been United’s best defender in recent weeks before picking up a thigh injury against Crystal Palace.
Last night Mourinho selected his replacement.
It was not £30 million man Eric Bailly. It was Phil Jones.
Jones has been a liability for United in his recent appearances.
His last starts before last night were the home defeat to Derby, the home defeat to Tottenham, and the FA Cup final in which he made a game costing error.
United’s upcoming opponents will be licking their lips at going up against a reformed Phil Jones and Chris Smalling partnership.
United got past Young Boys last night without Jones proving a calamity. Their upcoming opponents may not be so kind.
Next Wednesday evening United take on Arsenal, who can boast prolific strikers Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette.
Nine days later United travel to Anfield to take on Liverpool’s fearsome attack led by Mohamed Salah.
It was going to be tough already considering United have the worst defence in the Premier League’s top 10.
Now with Phil Jones likely to start both games, with Eric Bailly not featuring since October and still omitted last night, Liverpool and Arsenal will fancy their chances even more of inflicting a defeat on United.
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