No more friendlies, now the results truly matter. Manchester United, the biggest club in England, are in the very first fixture of the Premier League season. They’ll partake in their weekend fixture a full day ahead of everyone else, when they host Fulham FC on Friday night. Lots of storylines to cover in this one. Will summer striker signing Joshua Zirkzee make his Red Devils debut? Will it be from the off? After all, the side doesn’t really have another true striker fit and available right now.
What about the trio of slight doubts, Luke Shaw, Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof- will they participate?
Season Opener FYIs
Fulham FC at Manchester United
Kick off: 8pm, Friday Aug. 16, Old Trafford, Manchester, UK
Man United Preview Content: On-the-pitch Team News Off-the-pitch Team News Starting XI Prediction
Result Probability: Man United 64% Fulham FC 16% Draw 20%
If so, will it be from the start? It has been awhile since we’ve seen Shaw play in a red shirt, so he’ll be one to watch. What about the two most recent signings, Noussair Mazraoui and Matthijs de Ligt, in what capacity will we see them? United have a handful of injuries, already, so anyone and everyone who is fit right now needs to be ready to contribute.
Manchester United Starting XI Prediction vs Fulham FC
Andre Onana; Diogo Dalot, Lisandro Martinez, Victor Lindelof, Luke Shaw; Scott McTominay, Kobbie Mainoo; Alejandro Garnacho, Bruno Fernandes, Jadon Sancho; Marcus Rashford
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 Ravens Wire, part of the USA Today SMG’s NFL Wire Network and the Internet Baseball Writers Association of America. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated, Chicago Tribune and the Washington Times. You can follow him on Linked In and Twitter.