According to a report from Laurie Whitwell in The Athletic/New York Times, it is expected that youngster Ayden Heaven will get the start at left center back, over Lisandro Martinez, in the season opener. United travel to newly promoted Hull City on Saturday. Heaven has had his ups and downs this summer, but he’s earned this start. And even if he didn’t earn it, manager Michael Carrick few other options with the oft-inured Lisandro Martinez still not 90 minutes match fit.
Premier League Season Opener FYIs
Manchester United at Hull City
Saturday, Aug. 22, 12:30pm GMT
MKM Stadium, Kingston-upon-Hull, United Kingdom
Result Probabilities According to Google: Manchester United Wins 69% a Draw 19% Hull City Wins 12%
Manchester United Preview Material: Team News Big Bid Made for Brighton Midfielder Carlos Baleba
Lucha played about a half hour against AC Milan and former United boss Ruben Amorim last weekend, but he’s just not 100% yet. He was a key part of the Argentina side that played in the World Cup final match, and then he suffered an injury as well this summer.
Other than Heaven in and Martinez out, the predicted lineup is incredibly straight-forward and obvious.
Manchester United Predicted Starting XI at Hull City
Senne Lammens; Diogo Dalot, Ayden Heaven, Harry Maguire, Luke Shaw; Andrey Santos, Youri Tielemans; Amad Diallo, Bruno Fernandes, Matheus Cunha; Bryan Mbeumo
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network, Ratings and RG. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes and the Washington Post.