Manchester United boss David Moyes says he is still searching for the right balance after Shakhtar Donetsk coach Mircea Lucescu suggested rotation was to blame for the Red Devils’ poor form.
United face Shakhtar in the Champions League on Wednesday after Saturday’s 2-1 defeat by West Brom signalled their worst league start in 24 years.
Victory in Ukraine would see United go clear at the top of Group A.
“We will be looking for a balance of experience and youth,” said Moyes, 50.
“We will be trying to introduce new young players at the right times but also rely a lot on the great experience many of the players have at Manchester United.”
United travel to the Donbass Arena after three defeats in their opening six Premier League games of the season as they begin life following the retirement of Sir Alex Ferguson.
They began their Champions League campaign with a 4-2 defeat of Bayer Leverkusen, while their hosts on Wednesday beat Real Sociedad 2-0.
Shakhtar are third in the Ukrainian Premier League having secured three successive domestic Doubles.
Lucescu, 68, said: “Turnover creates a lot of problems for them. In the Ukrainian championship, we are not rotating the squad as much. Maybe that is why we have been more secure.”
But Moyes responded: “It never caused Sir Alex Ferguson any problem when he did it.”
Despite United’s poor start – they are 12th in the Premier League, eight points adrift of leaders Arsenal – Moyes remains confident he can turn things around.
“I have been in situations very similar to this at Everton and also at Preston,” he said.
“You get on and you do the right things. I haven’t changed what I have done. I will continue to do that. The results will come. I have no doubt about that.”
BBC SPORT
About the Author
