Strongest Manchester United Lineup vs Club Brugge: Schweinsteiger to start?

Michael Carrick is a cerebral, composed player who does most of his work hovering in the holding-midfield position. “We’ll be ready”.

The Bruges club boasts plenty in the way of notable talents capable of causing the Red Devils problems but one man that United manager Louis van Gaal may want to be keeping a particularly close eye on is Tuur Dierckx. “It’ll be a big two games in fact – they could help set us up for the season”, Carrick told United’s official website ahead of the contest at Old Trafford.

Club Brugge have a couple of unsafe attacking players in their side such as Obbi Oularé and Claudemir, and Romero will need to be on his guard against the Belgians. They will make the trip to Manchester on the back of a 3-game unbeaten run in their domestic league.

Michel Preud’homme’s side finished top of the table in Belgium last season, but lost out to Gent in the ensuing championship play-off.

A 20-year-old attacker and product of the Club Brugge youth academy, Dierckx spent last season on loan at fellow Belgian top-flight outfit Kortrijk. Right-back Thomas Meunier is also out of contention for the first leg and possibly both legs owing to his knee injury.

Bayer Leverkusen have never lost at this stage of qualifying, with five successful passages through to the group stages, and they’ll be confident their experience can see off a hard opponent in Lazio.

Club Brugge have yet to win in 11 games in England (D2 L9). It’s been a better start for United than in recent years, although neither performance was vintage. However, for the moment he prefers points over performance.

The Argentinian is yet to concede since his summer move to Manchester United, and as David de Gea continues to be exiled from the matchday squad, it seems more than likely that Romero will keep his place.