Mourinho Has Options For EFL Cup Final

It's a game that every player wants to be involved in, but who will be named in the Manchester United starting line-up for Sunday's EFL Cup final against Southampton?

That's the question on everyone's lips ahead of this weekend's showpiece match at Wembley Stadium and, with the Reds in fine form following a run of just one defeat in 25 games across all competitions, Jose Mourinho has a series of difficult decisions to make when formulating his starting XI.

Let's take a look at the various options available to United for the game...

GOALKEEPERS

Clean sheets at Blackburn Rovers and Saint-Etienne have taken Sergio Romero's tally to seven in nine appearances in 2016/17. The Argentinian shot-stopper has proven himself a worthy deputy to David De Gea, but United's no.1 is expected to come back into the side for Sunday's final.

DEFENDERS

This is where things start to get tricky. While we're talking stats, it's well worth noting that the Reds have conceded just one goal in 10 and a half hours of football, a figure that bodes well heading into our next fixture. Chris Smalling and Eric Bailly were partnered at centre-back for the Saint-Etienne clash and the latter is available to play at Wembley, despite being sent off at Stade Geoffroy-Guichard. Mourinho could also opt to start with Phil Jones, who has impressed since returning from injury earlier this season, but hasn't featured since the start of February. Marcos Rojo has also come in for plenty of praise in recent weeks, and represents another formidable option at the heart of the defence.

Meanwhile, left-back is a position that appears very much up for grabs. Speaking on Tuesday, Mourinho said: “Luke Shaw didn't travel to Saint-Etienne because I'm playing with Daley Blind, with Rojo, with Matteo Darmian, and all of them are playing the way I like a full-back to play.” Occasions as important as cup finals often call for cool heads, and they don't come much cooler than Blind. The Dutchman - who can also play at centre-back, of course - could well feature again this weekend.

At right-back, Ashley Young has already expressed his desire to start against Southampton following his impressive displays at Blackburn and Saint-Etienne. He could be displaced by Antonio Valencia, who Mourinho recently described as the best right-back in football. That decision could yet see Young move up the flank, which brings us to the midfield...

MIDFIELDERS

Ander Herrera is available for selection after serving a one-match suspension in the Europa League and could play alongside Paul Pogba after the Frenchman came through the Saint-Etienne match unscathed. It remains to be seen wheter Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Michael Carrick are fit, however, after the duo appeared to suffer injuries on Wednesday. Marouane Fellaini and Bastian Schweinsteiger provided "good answers" when called upon in midweek, giving the boss plenty to think about in central midfield.

Jesse Lingard has a great record at Wembley after scoring in both the FA Cup final and Community Shield, while Juan Mata, a key player under Mourinho this season, represents another viable option on the right wing. On the left, it looks like a straight shoot-out between Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial.

Mourinho has options for the number 10 role, but we do not know if Wayne Rooney is available for selection yet. The captain returned to training on Tuesday but has not played since the 0-0 draw against Hull City on 1 February. His quality would be a massive bonus, especially if Mkhitaryan doesn't make it.

STRIKERS

Assuming Mourinho sets United up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, it's virtually impossible to look past Zlatan Ibrahimovic when considering who will lead the line. The Swedish striker has 24 goals in all competitions this season, and he scored the winner in the Community Shield at Wembley back in August.