Manchester United kick off their Premier League campaign this afternoon with a trip to newly-promoted Hull City at the MKM Stadium. Manager Michael Carrick has fresh midfield options at his disposal, with Andrey Santos and Youri Tielemans arriving from Chelsea and Aston Villa respectively, but a number of key players remain sidelined or short of full fitness.
Midfield reshuffle and injury concerns
Santos featured heavily during pre-season, while Tielemans joined up with the squad three weeks ago. Kobbie Mainoo only returned to training at the start of last week following his summer break, having also picked up an injury at the end of England’s World Cup campaign, where he did not see a minute of action. If Mainoo is still working towards full fitness, the new partnership of Tielemans and Santos could anchor the midfield at Hull.
Mason Mount started in central midfield on the final day of last season and impressed again in that role during pre-season, but a minor hamstring tear has again derailed his prospects. Benjamin Sesko also endured a frustrating pre-season, not playing a single game as he continued his recovery from a shin injury suffered back in May. The Slovenia international has returned to training and is ‘close to getting some minutes’ according to Carrick, suggesting he is not going to start this afternoon.
Defensive and attacking options
Matthijs de Ligt is also back in training, but his return would appear to still be some way off. The Netherlands international has not played since November last year, undergoing back surgery in May. Manuel Ugarte is a long-term absentee as he recovers from the ACL injury he suffered at the World Cup with Uruguay.
While Matheus Cunha can also play there, Bryan Mbeumo would appear to be the most likely candidate to lead United’s attack today. The Cameroon international looked very sharp in pre-season and regularly played through the middle under Carrick last season as Sesko settled into a super-sub role. Marcus Rashford has not much of a pre-season under his belt, playing his first minutes off the bench against AC Milan last weekend, and may settle for a role off the bench today. The fit-again Patrick Dorgu is also an option on the left.
Defensive lineup and how to watch
Ayden Heaven was the only centre-half to start all six of United’s pre-season games, with Harry Maguire and Leny Yoro also featuring prominently. The match is live on TNT Sports 1, with streaming available through the HBO Max app, and Metro’s LIVE matchday blog will provide full coverage.
