PSV full-back Arias will ´eat Depay raw´ – De Mos

PSV defender Santiago Arias will dominate Memphis Depay when Manchester United visit Netherlands on Tuesday, Dutch coach Aad de Mos has declared.

Depay will make his return to his only previous professional club in United’s first group stage fixture of the 2015-16 UEFA Champions League, with the 21-year-old having led PSV to the Eredivisie title last term with 22 goals in 30 matches.

But De Mos, who coached PSV from 1993 to 1995 and has also had stints with Ajax, Anderlect, Werder Bremen and Vitesse, reckons the Netherlands international will find it tough against former team-mate Arias.

“Depay is not going to get one bit of joy out of his return to Holland,” De Mos told Omroep Brabrant.

“Santiago Arias, the Colombian international defender who knows him inside out, is going to eat him raw.

“Honestly, I am 100 per cent sure that Arias will wipe him out.”

PSV have started their Eredivisie defence with three wins and two draws from five matches including a 6-0 thumping of Cambuur on Saturday.

Like United, they sit second in the league standings and De Mos reckons Philip Cocu’s men have what it takes to knock off Depay and Co.

United defeated Liverpool 3-1 on Saturday to sit five points adrift of Premier League leaders Manchester City after five rounds but De Mos believes Louis van Gaal’s central defensive pairing of Daley Blind and Chris Smalling will come under increased pressure in Eindhoven.

“Smalling is regarded as a great defender, but he isn’t the best on the ball,” the 68-year-old said.

“PSV have worked it out, they are going to let Smalling have the ball all the time. They know he is limited in his ideas.”

De Mos added: “And if Daley Blind thinks he can come and enjoy a bit of freedom, or dominate the game again, then he will soon realise all the PSV players are going to be after him. They will not leave him alone.”