Expected United XI vs Villa sees Amorim call upon ‘leader’ who he thinks can do everything

Manchester United make the daunting trip to Villa Park tomorrow for a 4.30pm kick-off against Unai Emery’s men.On paper, the fixture poses as United’s biggest challenge over the festive period, with Aston Villa sitting third-placed heading into gameweek 17.Seven points separate the sides before they meet. Form-wise, Villa boast a remarkable run, having won nine successive matches in all competitions – six of which came in the Premier League.Who’s available/unavailable for United?(Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)In regards to Ruben Amorim’s options for the clash, he has confirmed that, unfortunately, neither Matthijs de Ligt nor Harry Maguire have recovered in time to feature. Ruben Amorim confirms Harry Maguire and Matthijs De Ligt still out for trip to Aston Villa on Sunday. — Simon Stone (@sistoney67) December 19, 2025Maguire has been out of action since before the November international break when he was withdrawn in the second half of the draw to Tottenham Hotspur, while his Dutch counterpart had started every match of the campaign until the visit of West Ham on December 4.Benjamin Sesko made his return from injury against Bournemouth on Monday, making a 21-minute cameo off the bench after missing the last four outings with a knee issue.Amorim will, of course, have to make do without Amad Diallo, Bryan Mbeumo and Noussair Mazraoui, all of whom have departed to Morocco to represent their countries in the African Cup of Nations.Amad and Mbeumo played in the whirlwind draw with the Cherries this week, with the former overseeing a particularly sensational display at Old Trafford.Mazraoui, on the other hand, had already been summoned to international duty with the Atlas Lions, who host the tournament.Predicted United line-up vs Villa(Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)Lammens; Yoro, Heaven, Martinez; Dalot, Mainoo, Fernandes, Dorgu; Mount, Cunha, Zirkzee.The yellow card that Casemiro was shown by Simon Hooper on Monday confirmed that he would be suspended tomorrow, as it was his fifth of the campaign already.As a result, fans are hoping to see Kobbie Mainoo called upon to make his first start. 🚨 Amorim: “It was not Kobbie that wore the FREE MAINOO t-shirt… he’s not going to start because of the t-shirt, and he’s not going to the bench because of the t-shirt”. “He will play if we feel he’s the right guy. I’m used to it, I’ve been here for a year”. pic.twitter.com/X3Gnabu260 — Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) December 19, 2025Mason Mount has impressed in his most recent outings – especially the head coach, who said of the No.7 after his Man of the Match showing at Molineux: “He can defend, he can attack, the quality when he touches the ball is really good, so it’s not a surprise for me. He’s a different type of leader.”