Juan Mata is set to start for Manchester United against Tottenham Hotspur this afternoon
It will be the first time since the middle of January that the Spaniard is given a Premier League start by Louis van Gaal and will be his opportunity to stake a claim on a regular starting spot.
Mata has had to contend with sporadic appearances from the bench in recent months but with Angel di Maria suspended thanks to the red card he received against Arsenal in the FA Cup, van Gaal has chosen to give him the chance to prove himself.
For those who don’t follow Red News editor Barney Chilton, his sources have a flawless record when it comes to early team news this week, so there is no reason to suggest it will be any different this time around.
MUFC team news for tomorrow. (vs Spurs). Juan Mata starts (glad he's back in the side). More info in the RN Forum. #mufc #rednews
— Barney @Red News (@barneyrednews) March 14, 2015
From a tactical point of view, it is absolutely the correct decision to start Mata who deserves his chance to impress.
Also, it could mean Fellaini is pushed to the bench. Either that or the Belgian midfielder would have to adopt a deeper role in midfield to accommodate Mata.