It was a special occasion for former Manchester United striker Ruud van Nistelrooy on Wednesday night as he led the Red Devils to a 5-2 victory over Leicester in the Carabao Cup.

With Ruben Amorim’s appointment confirmed, Van Nistelrooy will undoubtedly savour every minute he gets to spend in the United dugout over the next couple of weeks. His first Premier League assignment is a tough one with fifth-placed Chelsea coming to town.

Following United’s midweek success, there are unlikely to be many personnel changes for Sunday’s game, although a couple of key cogs are expected to return to the Red Devils XI.

Here’s the team Van Nistelrooy could pick for Man Utd’s upcoming clash with the Blues.

GK: Andre Onana – A mainstay between the sticks this season, Onana has quietly gone about his work and is enjoying an excellent second campaign in Manchester.

RB: Diogo Dalot – Dalot can play on either flank – admittedly not very well as of late – but he should come back into the team after his horror miss at West Ham last Sunday. He could match up against compatriot Pedro Neto in this one.

CB: Matthijs de Ligt – De Ligt is one of many United players who’ll be keen to impress Amorim before the new manager makes his official arrival. With Harry Maguire a doubt, the Dutch defender should get the nod.

CB: Lisandro Martinez – After starting at left-back in midweek, Martinez should drift back into the centre for Chelsea’s visit.

LB: Noussair Mazraoui – The summer arrival has endured a dip in form after a promising start to his United career and Van Nistelrooy won’t be tempted by Mazraoui’s potential as a number 10 on Sunday.

CM: Casemiro – The veteran midfielder has been good of late and was among the standouts during the interim boss’ managerial bow. Casemiro should continue in the team against Chelsea and the role he plays will be interesting.

CM: Christian Eriksen – Manuel Ugarte’s showing in the week may have given the manager some food for thought, but it’d be harsh on Eriksen to leave him out given the form he’s shown at the start of 2024/25.

RW: Marcus Rashford – Deploying Rashford on the right simplifies his role but does hinder his output. The winger hasn’t scored in the Premier League since 14 September.

AM: Bruno Fernandes – The Portuguese talisman must be thrilled with Amorim’s appointment and he was in a joyful mood on Wednesday against Leicester. A similar performance on the big occasion is required here.

LW: Alejandro Garnacho – There’s no obvious role for Garnacho in Amorim’s 3-4-3, so he’s another who’ll be keen to impress over the coming weeks. He has, however, been outperforming Rashford as of late.

ST: Rasmus Hojlund – Joshua Zirkzee’s struggles continued in midweek and United will lean on the channel-running of Hojlund against Chelsea. The Dane was used off the bench on Wednesday night.

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