Why Erik ten Hag has made eight changes to Manchester United starting line-up vs Barnsley

Erik ten Hag has made eight changes to his Manchester United starting line-up for the friendly against Barnsley.

The Dutchman has made wholesale alterations to the team that beat Liverpool 4-0 in Bangkok on Tuesday.

Only David de Gea, Diogo Dalot and Bruno Fernandes keep their places from the team that started against Liverpool.

The likes of Harry Maguire, Jadon Sancho and Cristiano Ronaldo are among those to drop out of the side.

Ten Hag is likely to use the game to give some of his fringe players a chance to impress.

Here is the Manchester United starting XI vs Barnsley:

De Gea; Dalot, Bailly, Varane, Shaw; Fred, McTominay; Elanga, Fernandes, Pellistri; Martial

Here is the Manchester United bench vs Barnsley:

Heaton, Bishop, Wan-Bissaka, Maguire, Lindelof, Malacia, Garner, Iqbal, Van de Beek, Sancho, Ronaldo, Rashford

Why has Erik ten Hag made so many changes?

There are a few possible reasons why Ten Hag has made so many changes to his starting line-up for the friendly against Barnsley.

One possibility is that he is using the game to give some of his fringe players a chance to impress.

Another possibility is that he is trying to avoid injuries to his key players ahead of the start of the new season.

Whatever the reason, it is clear that Ten Hag is still experimenting with his team and trying to find the best combination of players.

What can we expect from Manchester United against Barnsley?

Manchester United are likely to dominate possession against Barnsley and create a number of chances.

However, they will need to be wary of Barnsley's counter-attacking threat.

Overall, Manchester United should be too strong for Barnsley and will be expected to win the game comfortably.