- Man United host Brentford in the Premier League on Saturday afternoon
- Erik ten Hag will be without five defenders for the game at Old Trafford
- LISTEN NOW: It’s All Kicking Off!, available wherever you get your podcasts. New episodes every Monday and Thursday
Erik ten Hag is reportedly set to play Jonny Evans in an unusual position when Man United face Brentford at Old Trafford on Saturday.
The under-pressure manager will be without five defenders for the Premier League clash as he seeks to avoid a third straight defeat at home in the top flight.
Left-backs Tyrell Malacia and Luke Shaw will miss the match, as will centre-backs Harry Maguire and Leny Yoro.
Right-back Noussair Mazraoui will also be sidelined until November after he underwent a minor heart procedure following complaints of palpitations.
And Ten Hag could be forced to play Evans at left-back, according to The Mirror.
Erik ten Hag is reportedly set to play Jonny Evans in an unusual position against Brentford
Evans, who was man of the match last time out in a 0-0 draw at Aston Villa, has played there before but is far more comfortable in central defence.
The move would allow Diogo Dalot to move back into his preferred right-back position.
Ten Hag also has the option of playing Lisandro Martinez at left-back with Evans and Matthijs de Ligt in the middle.
Victor Lindelof made his return at Villa park, replacing Mazraoui at right-back, and he could also feature against Brentford, allowing Dalot to continue at left-back and Evans to remain in the center with De Ligt or Martinez.
Ten Hag has overseen United’s worst-ever start to a Premier League season as they sit 14th with just eight points from seven games, while the Red Devils are winless in their last five matches across all competitions.
Ten Hag has avoided being the sack after United’s senior officials held a six-hour meeting at minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s INEOS headquarters last Tuesday.
But should the Red Devils’ form continue to falter once club football resumes after the international break, it could leave United with a difficult choice to make.
Ten Hag will be missing a number of players when his side return to Premier League action
Several names have been linked with the vacancy should Ten Hag be given his marching orders, including the likes of former Bayern Munich manager Thomas Tuchel and ex-Chelsea boss Graham Potter.
Gareth Southgate was another who had been mooted as an option, but he recently stated he wouldn’t be back in a managerial role until next year.
The Sun also reports a fresh name has entered the mix in the form of Edin Terzic.
