3 key battles as Manchester United take on Burnley

Paul Pogba vs Dean Marney

Against Arsenal and Liverpool, Dean Marney was never more than six feet away from his centre-halves, Ben Mee and Micheal Keane, you could have thrown a blanket over all three of them throughout the entire game. This was to stop their talented front lines pulling the Burnley defence out of position, and allowed Marney to put out fires just in front of his back four.

Manchester United will play 4-2-3-1 and Paul Pogba will most likely be the man Marney has to deal with, as the Frenchman will occupy spaces just outside the penalty area.

Jose Mourinho wants Pogba to be the man who makes Manchester United tick, yet such is the array of attacking options for the hosts this role could be occupied by Juan Mata or Wayne Rooney.

If the Clarets line up 4-4-2 or 4-5-1, the role of Marney will not be too dissimilar, he will be crucial to breaking up attacks and recycling possession for the Clarets.

The Clarets number eight is one of the club’s longest serving players, and Burnley will need to count on all of his experience at Old Trafford.