Manchester United re-signed Zlatan Ibrahimovic for one more year after the Swede recovered miraculously from a serious injury he suffered last season. Jose Mourinho confirmed that Zlatan is expected to return only in January, so Romelu Lukaku’s starting place is safe for now.
Jose Mourinho in the pre-season experimented with a 3-5-2 formation quite a bit and although he has played the 4-2-3-1 formation in United’s first three games in the Premier League, we can expect to see the 3-5-2 formation at some point this season.
One advantage with playing the 3-5-2 formation is that Mourinho can fit in both Zlatan and Lukaku in the same team. Zlatan likes to drop deep can perfectly complement Lukaku’s raw pace, power and his willingness to run in behind.
With Nemanja Matic instantly settling in, Manchester United have multiple options in the center of midfield with the likes of Ander Herrera and Marouane Fellaini on the bench. The 3-5-2 will see a three man midfield which means that Herrera who was last season’s player of the year will start. Against weaker opposition, Henrikh Mkhitaryan can play as the most advanced midfielder with Paul Pogba and Nemanja Matic behind. Matic’s arrival allows Mourinho to flexibility in midfield, allowing him to push the likes of Pogba further forward and give them more freedom.