Luke Shaw and Sofyan Amrabat surprised fans by not being included in the Manchester United squad for the Boxing Day match against Aston Villa.
Despite Shaw’s return from a recent injury and consistent play in the last eight matches, he was absent from the 20-man squad on Boxing Day. Similarly, Amrabat, who was on the bench in the previous weekend’s loss to West Ham United, was not part of the squad against Aston Villa.
Currently, there’s no clear indication of whether the pair will recover in time to participate in the upcoming match against Nottingham Forest in four days, per Manchester World.
In Shaw’s absence, Diogo Dalot made a return at left-back after serving his suspension during the weekend. Aaron Wan-Bissaka was chosen on the opposite flank, while Raphael Varane and Jonny Evans formed the center-back duo, getting the nod ahead of Andre Onana.
In a surprising move, Scott McTominay found himself on the bench, with Christian Erisken taking his place in the midfield. Erisken, who hadn’t started a league game since the win over Luton Town in November, partnered with Kobbie Mainoo, while Bruno Fernandes assumed the no.10 role.
Erik ten Hag also made a change upfront, bringing in Marcus Rashford for the out-of-form Antony. Rasmus Hojlund and Alejandro Garnacho completed the front three, which has collectively scored three league goals this season.