Manchester United vs Fulham LIVE: Premier League team news and line-ups as Noussair Mazraoui starts on debut

Jadon Sancho does not make the Manchester United squad, though.

We’ll see exactly how the two sides configure themselves, but there are some suggestions that it may be Bruno Fernandes in a false nine role for Manchester United, giving Marcus Rashford and Amad Diallo licence to run beyond the Portuguese creator. Rasmus Hojlund, of course, is nursing a hamstring issue, hence his absence.

Emile Smith Rowe starts for Fulham, while Rodrigo Muniz, as expected, gets the nod ahead of Raul Jimenez up front.

Fulham XI: Leno; Tete, Diop, Bassey, Robinson; Lukic, Pereira; Traore, Smith Rowe, Iwobi; Muniz.

Noussair Mazraoui is thrown straight into the starting side by Erik ten Hag, who leaves fellow new addition Matthijs de Ligt on the bench. Marcus Rashford looks set to lead the line.

Manchester United XI: Onana; Dalot, Maguire, Martinez, Mazraoui; Mainoo, Casemiro, Fernandes (c); Mount, Rashford, Amad.

A new Premier League directive this season means that we are expecting team news slightly sooner than has become custom, clubs now releasing their squads to the public 75 minutes before kick off, rather than an hour ahead of the whistle. That means that the two sides should be with us imminently – will Erik ten Hag hand immediate debuts to his two new recruits? And does Emile Smith Rowe slot straight in to Fulham’s lead creative role?

Hold on to your hats once again everyone: the Premier League is back this weekend.

Liverpool will be an intriguing watch under new manager Arne Slot and a total of five clubs will take to the new season with a fresh look in the dugout, with Enzo Maresca at Chelsea, Julen Lopetegui at West Ham, Steve Cooper at Leicester City and Fabian Hurzeler at Brighton.

Maresca at Chelsea will be a fascinating watch and how will Erik ten Hag fare at Manchester United after being given a new contract? The journeys of the newly-promoted trio of Leicester City, Ipswich Town and Southampton will be interesting, too.

Now, ahead of the opening game between Manchester United and Fulham on Friday night, our writers make their predictions for the next season:

“Manchester is red,” read the message on a football club’s social-media account; though not from the Manchester club who play in red. It was a cheeky point made by Ajax, surveying Manchester United’s recruitment drive and the addition of two of their alumni, Matthis de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui, on the same day. It means that, in the former Ajax manager Erik ten Hag’s reign, United have now spent around a quarter of a billion pounds on his Ajax players.

Not that all the proceeds have gone to Amsterdam: De Ligt and Mazraoui arrived from Bayern Munich, just as Andre Onana had taken the long route from the Netherlands, via a one-season stay at Internazionale. But Ajax cashed in to the tune of £56m for Lisandro Martinez and, ridiculously, £86m for Antony.

There’s been a mini summer saga between these two teams, as United turned down multiple bids from the south London side for midfielder Scott McTominay. They continue to be linked with the Scot, who has also been attracting interest from clubs abroad, including Napoli.

United continue to be linked with midfield reinforcements, with the strongest links tying them to PSG’s Manuel Ugarte and Burnley’s Sander Berge.

Links to Everton’s Jarrad Branthwaite refuse to go away, though you’d imagine that they won’t sign yet another centre-back this summer.

In terms of outgoings, Eriksen is rumoured to be attracting interest, as is Jadon Sancho.

Fulham manager Marco Silva has promised that there will be more business done, adding that the Cottagers are “going to sign a player” to replace Palhinha. The club have been linked to Brazilian midfielder Andre, who plays for Fluminense.

Fulham have also been linked to Watford’s Yaser Asprilla in midfielder, while in defence there are rumours that they are keeping tabs on Aston Villa’s Diego Carlos and Joachim Andersen of Crystal Palace.

Both sides have had several notable signings and outgoings so far this summer.

Manchester United have signed Leny Yoro from Lille, alongside Bayern’s Matthijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui, in defence, but are yet to add to their midfield.

In attack, they have signed Joshua Zirzkee from Bologna, and they continue to be linked to Manuel Ugarte of PSG.

Christian Eriksen is the latest to be linked with a move away, while Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Willy Kambwala, Donny van de Beek, Omari Forson and Mason Greenwood have all left the club permanently.

Fulham have lost Joao Palhinha to Bayern, while Willian, Tosin Adarabioyo, Bobby Decordova-Reid and Tim Ream have all left too.

They have signed Emile Smith Rowe from Arsenal for a club record fee of around £34m, and added Ryan Sessegnon on a free as well as Villarreal’s Jorge Cuenca.

Erik ten Hag has confirmed new signings Matthijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui will go straight into Manchester United’s squad for Friday’s Premier League opener against Fulham.

The Red Devils completed a double deal with Bayern Munich on Tuesday having secured the signings of forward Joshua Zirkzee and teenage defender Leny Yoro earlier in the window.

De Ligt joined for 45million euros (£38.5m) rising to a possible 50m euros (£42.7m), with full-back Mazraoui arriving for 15m euros (£12.8m) that could reach 20m euros (£17m).