Manchester United are set to face Tottenham Hotspur in the UEFA Europa League final in Bilbao on May 21.
United manager Ruben Amorim may take inspiration from his predecessor Erik ten Hag and make a bold selection change in the final.
The Dutch head coach snubbed Rasmus Hojlund from the starting XI in the 2-1 FA Cup win over Manchester City last year.
Bruno Fernandes and Scott McTominay led the line in a 4-2-2-2 formation, with Hojlund coming off the bench for a brief cameo.
The Denmark international had found his goalscoring touch in the late stages of the season, but Ten Hag still chose to snub him.
Hojlund could see yet another snub from Amorim due to his extremely poor form.
The £38 million-rated striker has endured a nightmare 2024/25 campaign, scoring just four Premier League goals in 31 outings.
His lack of goals is not the only concern. The bigger issue is his inability to hold up play and how easily he gets bullied by defenders in duels.
We would not be surprised if Amorim drops Hojlund and deploys Kobbie Mainoo in the number nine role.
The Portuguese head coach had already experimented with Mainoo in the number nine role against Crystal Palace in February.
The 20-year-old set up an early chance for Alejandro Garnacho and even hit the woodwork.
His influence faded after the break, highlighting that he is not a long-term centre-forward solution for United.
Mainoo has the attacking flair that could help United unlock Spurs’ defence.
With Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven likely to marshal Tottenham’s backline, Hojlund may struggle to find any joy against their power and pace.
Mainoo, on the other hand, could drop into deeper pockets, drag one of the centre-backs out of shape, and create space for United’s wingers to exploit.
Winning the Europa League will not erase United’s dramatic domestic downfall, but it will at least guarantee Champions League football next season.
Stats from Transfermarkt.com