Man United set to be without five key players to face Aston Villa

Manchester United could be without five first team players for their clash against Aston Villa.

Erik ten Hag and his United squad will be travelling to the West Midlands on Sunday, as they prepare for a clash at Villa Park.

The Red Devils currently sit in sixth place within the top flight of English football, with their opponents one place ahead of them. Although an eight point gap separates the two sides ahead of the game.

United were able to secure all three points in the first meeting against Villa on Boxing Day, as Rasmus Hojlund's first Premier League goal for the club rounded off an impressive 3-2 comeback win at Old Trafford.

Ten Hag's team are currently on a three game winning streak across all competitions and will be eager to build on this run on Sunday, However, they will be without a number of key players for the game.

Lisandro Martinez had only returned to action recently but will now be sidelined for an additional two months, after suffering a knee injury during the 3-0 win against West Ham United. "It's a setback of course," said Ten Hag about Martinez. "You see his contribution to the team when he's playing.

"Apart from his technical skills, he also bring mentality into our team, but it's a big setback. He's disappointed, but he's a fighter, he will be back and he will be back stronger."

Lisandro Martinez picking up his knee injury.

His fellow defender Aaron Wan-Bissaka will also likely miss the clash, after suffering a fresh setback in training this week.

"I don't know in this moment what the diagnosis is," said Ten Hag when asked for an update on the right-back. "Hopefully not too bad."

Elsewhere, long-term absentees Mason Mount and Tyrell Malacia are also unavailable, while Anthony Martial's comeback is scheduled for April after undergoing surgery to solve a groin issue.