Reaction to takeover news
It was a busy and exciting Friday night for Manchester United supporters as the Glazer family's ownership of the club is creeping towards an end. A deadline for potential buyers to submit their bids was made for Friday, with Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani answering the call.
Qatari banker Al Thani announced his bid in an official statement which outlined his plan to 'to return the Club to its former glories both on and off the pitch' while Ratcliffe's bid was officially confirmed on Saturday afternoon through his company INEOS which pledges to: 'put the Manchester back into Manchester United' and would plan to 'invest in Manchester United to make them the number one club in the world once again … making the club a beacon for a modern, progressive, fan-centred approach to ownership.'
Old Trafford is bound to be bouncing with the news and it will be intriguing to see if the match-going supporters make their preferred bidder clear during the course of the afternoon.
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Rotation
Erik ten Hag hasn't been one to rotate his side much this season, even when United have been up against lowly League One opposition. Yet last weekend against Leeds he didn't start key players such as Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez in preparation for the trip to Barcelona.
Now he has the dilemma of whether he makes similar changes once again. United are in a great position to defeat the La Liga leaders following Thursday's thrilling draw and with the home leg coming on Thursday he may well be tempted to rest some players again. Varane is an obvious candidate while Wout Weghorst has also played a lot of minutes in recent weeks.
Leicester have begun to turn things around and have scored four goals in their last two victories so they will be no pushover, which will likely impact his decision as well.
Last game without Casemiro
Marcel Sabitzer and Martinez could come back in following their suspensions for the Nou Camp but one player who will certainly be unavailable is Casemiro. The Brazilian linchpin is servinig the final match of his three-game ban following his dismissal against Crystal Palace.
United haven't looked their best without Casemiro in the two outings against Leeds as they missed his composure on the ball and dominance in the middle of the park so it will come as a great relief that his ban is nearly at a close.
Maddison threat
However, Casemiro's absence against Leicester will likely be the most keenly felt yet. The Foxes return to form directly coincides with the return of their best and most important player in James Maddison.
Brendan Rodgers' side haven't lost in the four games since he made his long-awaited return to injury and the creative midfielder has picked up exactly where he left off before his spell on the sidelines. Maddison has started the last two league matches, scored in both, grabbed an assist and helped his side stick four past Aston Villa and Tottenham.
He is bound to be a real threat to United who have been especially susceptible to deliveries into the box recently, something Maddison is an expert in. With Casemiro out, it will likely fall to Fred or Sabitzer to snuff out the danger which will be a big ask.
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