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Carrick and Fellaini start for Manchester United, for some reason

Louis van Gaal is doing his thing.

Michael Regan/Getty Images

After the embarrassment of last Thursday's shredding at the hands of Liverpool, the chances were always good that Louis van Gaal would switch things up for this afternoon's visit of West Ham. But he's resisted the temptation to tweak Manchester United's creaking defence: David de Gea will begin the day looking out at the same back four: Guillermo Varela, Chris Smalling, Daley Blind and Marcos Rojo.

It's ahead of them that the changes have come. Michael Carrick comes in for Morgan Schneiderlin and Ander Herrera returns for the suspended Juan Mata. Memphis Depay's latest drop in form has seen him relegated to the bench in favour of the returning Jesse Lingard, while it looks as though Marcus Rashford will continue on the wing, with Anthony Martial up front. But that's a guess.

Marouane Fellaini starts, because he is harder to shift than Japanese knotweed.

Joining Memphis and Schneiderlin on the bench are Bastian Schweinsteiger, Matteo Darmian, Adnan Januzaj and RoShaun Williams, who will make his debut when Van Gaal chucks him on for no good reason just after West Ham score their second. Sergio Romero's there too, just in case De Gea breaks down in tears.