Up to 11 players are a doubt for Manchester United in their season opener on Saturday against Crystal Palace. There are of course different degrees as to how likely each of these players are to miss out on the curtain raiser, and we only have one confirmed absentee.
How manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer lines up his first team will be intriguing though, to say the least. One can expect Donny van de Beek, the team’s only signing this summer, to get a starting assignment.
Manchester United Season Opener vs Crystal Palace
Kickoff: Sat Sept. 19, 5:30 Old Trafford
Team News for both sides: go here
Odds: Palace win +850, United win -325, draw +440
“Everyone has helped me a lot and wanted to make me feel at home and this is really good for me and it has given me the confidence to play,” said Van De Beek.
“It’s a family club, I feel this already from the first seconds I have been here. Old Trafford is an amazing stadium. The nicest thing will be when the fans are there too and I cannot wait to play for the first time in front of them.”
“I hope to see them soon in the stadium because for our team they will give us a lot of power when we can have them with us.”
Manchester United Starting XI Prediction vs Crystal Palace
De Gea; Wan-Bissaka, Lindelof, Maguire, Shaw; Pogba, Van De Beek, McTomina; Jame, Fernandes, Rashford; Martial
Prediction: Manchester United 2, Crystal Palace 0
Despite the long list of potential absentees, United should win this one easily, as they dominate this fixture. Besides, the Eagles of plenty of problems of their own.
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank, partnered with News Now. Banks, the author of “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, Chicago Tribune and SB Nation. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram.