Thomas Tuchel will face arguably his first major domestic test as Chelsea manager when Ole Gunnar Solskjaer takes his Manchester United squad to Stamford Bridge on Sunday. This game is a Champions League 6 pointer with both managers keen to ensure that they do not lose rather than go all out for the win.

Tuchel is still experimenting to find his best eleven; but, for a game such as this, you can expect him to start N’Golo Kante beside Mateo Kovacic in a compact, defensive-minded double pivot. In Marcus Rashford, Anthony Martial, Edinson Cavani and Mason Greenwood, Manchester United pose a major counter-attacking threat. The creativity of Bruno Fernandes and Luke Shaw can release the pacey forward players. Tuchel must pay special attention to closing down these players.

Solskjaer is often accused of overusing the defensive double pivot to shield his defence, particularly against weaker opposition. He is, however, expected to deploy a defensive double-pivot away to Chelsea with Fred and Nemanja Matic expected to start. Manchester United will also need to be compact defensively to counter the threat of Mason Mount, Timo Werner and Marcos Alonso.

As Tuchel experiments to find his best 11, it is ironic that he will be without Thiago Silva, the player he knows best from their time at PSG, due to injury. Up to press time, Chelsea have not reported any other fitness doubts. For Manchester United, Paul Pogba is out (thigh injury), Edinson Cavani, Donny Van De Beek, Daniel James and Scott McTominay will undergo late fitness tests.

Both teams played to a goalless draw at Old Trafford in late October. Chelsea being the home team this time around, may seek to provide the attacking initiative. Statistically, they have also retained more ball possession than Manchester United for the current EPL season. Having more of the ball could lead to more goal attempts, but this is not always the case. Both teams possess excellent quality on set pieces, so they will be wary of giving away fouls in dangerous positions.

Solskjaer has the advantage of having a settled squad. He has the right players for the successful counter-attacking style that has worked for him this season, but fitness issues could rule out critical players. Tuchel has a nearly fully fit squad, but players suited to the previous manager’s system do not fit his tactical setup. Regardless, Tuchel will be under pressure to not lose at home to a Champions League rival. He will set up his team in a pragmatic way to ensure he does not lose this game.