Paul Merson says ‘struggling’ Man Utd star should start vs Southampton | Football

United travel to St. Mary’s on Saturday after losing two of their opening three games of the season, with Erik ten Hag already under significant pressure.

Securing the three points is imperative therefore, even more so given that this is on paper one of their easiest fixtures of the entire campaign.

Southampton’s return to the top-flight has not begun well, with no points and just one goal in three games placing them 19th in the table as it stands.

Yet, the Saints will feel this game is winnable given that United have scored just twice so far thanks to a misfiring and injury hit forward line, with Marcus Rashford taking the brunt of criticism from fans and pundits.

The England international has failed to have a single shot despite starting the opening three games and fans jeered Ten Hag when he subbed Alejandro Garnahco off instead during the 3-0 loss to Liverpool.

But Merson believes he deserves another chance, telling Sportskeeda: ‘Even though Marcus Rashford is struggling at the moment, he still gets into my team.

‘Ten Hag has to quickly identify his best team though. We still haven’t got a clue on how Manchester United will line-up against Southampton and that’s a major problem.

‘The challenge for Ten Hag is that his players only returned from international duty on Thursday and they are in action in the early kick-off on Saturday. That means just one session on Friday before they hit the road.’

Zirkzee scored as a sub on his debut against Fulham and nearly found the back of the net several times against Liverpool, though some doubt whether he is good enough to be a regular starter for the Red Devils.

Ten Hag has confirmed that first-choice striker Rasmus Hojlund is still unavailable for the Southampton clash, meaning the Dutchman will most likely start up top.

‘Despite the fact that Southampton are struggling big time, this is still a tricky game for Manchester United. You don’t want to get beat by this Southampton side,’ Merson added.

‘That’s exactly why it’s also a bit of a nightmare game for Erik ten Hag. This is a must-win game, there’s no two ways about it.

‘I still think Manchester United have enough to win here though. They have a good couple of fixtures after this game and a win here could help them get back on track.

‘I expect Southampton to struggle this season and based on what I’ve seen so far, I can’t see them getting anything out of this game. Prediction: Southampton 0-3 Manchester United.’

For more stories like this, check our sport page.