Sabitzer to start?
It was a surprise to hear Erik ten Hag raise the possibility of Marcel Sabitzer starting for Manchester United against Crystal Palace, given he has trained once with his new teammates and has played one minute of competitive football since November.
The 28-year-old is surely undercooked, especially for the style of game he likes to play. He is an energetic, box-to-box midfielder and a good presser, so might need to build his match fitness up before fulfilling that role at United.
We're bound to see the Austrian at some point, however, and his introduction will be fascinating. He scored just two goals in 54 games for Bayern Munich but in his first interview as a United player he discussed his creativity in the final third and said fans expect "good shots" and that "I love shooting".
READ MORE: United make decision on Sabitzer for Palace fixture
United have been a little reliant on Marcus Rashford for goals recently, so perhaps Sabitzer could contribute a few more from midfield.
Wan-Bissaka's value
Diogo Dalot is back in training for United and is set to return to the matchday squad, but it might be best to ease him back in with a view to starting the doubleheader against Leeds this week.
Aaron Wan-Bissaka has stepped up in the absence of Dalot recently and eased any fears about a squad issue at right-back, showing he is good enough to fill in.
He's up against his former club here and that is valuable, given he has shown he can stop Wilfried Zaha in the past. The former United winger is out of this game, but Palace have dangerous attackers with quick feet, such as Michael Olise and Eberechi Eze.
It's got lost in the aftermath of the recent draw at Selhurst Park, but Zaha looked set to give Palace a dramatic late win until Wan-Bissaka produced a brilliant tackle in his own penalty box.
Asked about it after the game, Zaha ruefully shook his head and let out a laugh. "Any other player..." Zaha told Sky Sports. "As I’m running through, I had a little look back and I thought ‘oh my God…it’s Aaron’. He’s the only one that can do a scoop tackle. So it was a great tackle."
Wan-Bossaka is a horses for courses selection, even if Dalot is back fit.
Martial's return
Ten Hag's options in attack look a lot stronger after the midweek win against Nottingham Forest, when Jadon Sancho and Anthony Martial both made their returns.
After 102 days out Sancho will surely remain an impact sub for now, but Martial can back-up his goal on Wednesday with a start against Crystal Palace, allowing Wout Weghorst to take a breather after being thrown in at the deep end.
Weghorst offers depth and a rotation option at centre-forward now, but as well as he's done Martial is likely to remain the first-choice and this is a good game to come back into.
Unlucky for some?
United are bidding to land a 13th successive win at Old Trafford today and their home form under Erik ten Hag is quickly making the place a fortress once again.
The last time they put together a home run like this was winning 17 in a row in 2010/11 and it has quickly become the bedrock of the turnaround in fortunes this season. United have 15 out of 18 at home this season.
With home draws continuing to come in every domestic cup competition there is plenty of action at Old Trafford. United are guaranteed at least 30 home games this season, with the possibility of more to come in Europe and an FA Cup quarter-final.
Quick turnarounds
United play Palace just 17 days after the two teams met at Selhurst Park and the quick turnarounds are a quirk of the fixture list this season.
The game at Palace and at home to Leeds were postponed following the death of Queen Elizabeth II, but they've both been rearranged close to the reverse fixture. Next week United play Leeds at home on Wednesday and away on Sunday.
There's a good chance that what happens in the first game will have an impact in the second.
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