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Herrera as the No.10

It wasn’t until Ander Herrera was pushed further forward against Club Brugge on Wednesday night that he started to look comfortable. Louis van Gaal has said before that he doesn’t like using midfielders as his No.10, preferring instead to play with what he calls a ‘second striker’. But Herrera’s performance during the second half in Belgium – his pass for Wayne Rooney and his goal – should at least give Van Gaal reason to think again. Memphis Depay and Adnan Januzaj have both had a go there without ever excelling.

Two holding midfielders

Morgan Schneiderlin will almost certainly come back in after being rested against Brugge. And it’s likely he’ll be alongside either Michael Carrick or Bastian Schweinsteiger. Van Gaal’s 4-2-3-1 with two defensive midfielders might look a little conservative for games at Old Trafford. But it’s perfectly suited to away games where the onus is on the opposition to attack. Swansea have started the season well and aren’t a team that like to sit back. United might need the insurance of two holding players in front of what is still a inexperienced centre-back pairing.

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Wayne Rooney buzzing again

Wayne Rooney should be full of confidence after his Champions League hat-trick in midweek. He was starting to look frustrated with very little service and playing in a system that doesn’t allow him to get involved too much. But he showed on Wednesday that he’s still a clinical finisher. His first, especially, wasn’t that of a striker suffering from a lack of belief. He’s had some poor games at the Liberty Stadium in the past – the 1-1 draw in December 2012 was a low point – but he travels there this time looking like he's getting back to his best.

Darmian’s big test

Matteo Darmian has had a fantastic start to his United career after his move from Torino in the summer. But he faces a big challenge against Swansea’s Jefferson Montero on Sunday. The 25-year-old was all over Branislav Ivanovic during the draw with Chelsea on the opening day of the season. But if Darmian can come up with a way of dealing with the Ecuador winger’s blistering pace it will nullify one of Swansea's key attacking threats.

Blind’s suitability to centre-back role

Daley Blind might not be every United fan’s choice as the regular centre-back. But he hasn’t done much wrong in a defence that has only conceded once all season. Even that was an own goal in the first leg against Brugge. There are still concerns about whether his lack of pace and physicality make him a suitable Premier League centre-half. He might find that Bafetimbi Gomis sits on him on Sunday waiting for balls into the box, and the Dutchman will need to be up for the battle.