Manchester United begin a season of very strong ambition and high expectation with a home fixture on Saturday against Leeds United. It’s the first match on a special Saturday slate of matches and the second overall fixture of the new term.
It also has the potential to be a doozy for United as they are taking on a local rival, who have proven to be a tough out for everybody in the Premier League, and they’ll be doing so without as many as nine key players potentially!
Manchester United vs Leeds United FYIs
Kickoff: 12:30 pm GMT Sat. Aug. 14, Old Trafford
Season Previews: Manchester United Leeds
MUFC Starting XI Prediction: go here
Odds: Manchester United (-189) | Leeds (+450) | Draw (+333)
Summer splash signing Jadon Sancho may not feature, or if he does it will only be in a limited role, due to his only having trained with the squad for a week so far.
Raphael Varane is still finalizing his transfer from Real Madrid and has been all but ruled out for this one.
Goalkeeper Dean Henderson is a doubt due to his having recently missed training with prolonged fatigue associated with having contracted covid-19. Jesse Lingard is out having recently returned a positive covid test.
Also out is Phil Jones (knee), but it’s still news to many that he’s even still on the team (and at this point why is he?) Marcus Rashford is out until October having elected to get that long overdue shoulder surgery.
The Athletic reports that Edinson Cavani “was granted extended leave following this summer’s Copa America to return home to his native Uruguay to spend time with family members.
“COVID-19 restrictions have prevented the forward from being able to see some friends and family for the best part of two years.”
Similarly, Eric Bailly has only recently returned from international duty, with the Ivory Coast at the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics. Meanwhile left back Alex Telles is out with an ankle injury.
Got all that?
As for Leeds, they have three doubts: Diego Llorente (knee), main summer signing Junior Firpo (knock) and Jamie Shackleton (head).
Prediction: United 2, Leeds 1
Even with all the absentees, I still think the hosts got this one. They did thrash their opponents 6-2 in this fixture last season.
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank, partnered with News Now. Banks, 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,” has regularly appeared in WGN, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune.