Jose Mourinho will have a full squad of players to choose from barring Luke Shaw, Marcos Rojo and Ashley Young as West Ham travel to Old Trafford
Manchester United go into the match with most of their players available, something Jose Mourinho will be elated with as he labelled the pre-season as a success, mainly based on the fact that all of their players who participated in the tour came out of it unscathed.
Speaking at the pre-match press conference, Jose Mourinho confirmed that he will have to do without the likes of Luke Shaw, Marcos Rojo and Ashley Young due to injuries. The Portuguese boss said,”Everyone is available except the injuries that everybody knows, so the injuries that come from the previous season with surgeries.”
“We have one more reason to be happy because, in this pre-season, we didn’t lose any player. Every one of the 22, plus the goalkeepers, that started the pre-season is ready for Premier League match one,” he added.
Young is out until October with a hamstring injury while Shaw is unlikely to return before September. Rojo, on the other hand, is understood to be out until 2018. On the flip side, all of United’s summer signings – Lindelof, Matic and Lukaku – are fit and in line to make their Premier League debut.
The only trouble Mourinho might face during the selection process is with the left-back position. Shaw has been the first-choice left-back but Matteo Darmian did quite well in the role during the UEFA Super Cup final against Real Madrid, and is likely to be deployed there.
Lindelof and Chris Smalling are gradually edging towards a solid central defensive partnership and it will be interesting to see how fast they are able to grow as a duo. Mourinho is likely to hand starts to both of them.
Despite Marouane Fellaini impressing against Real, Herrera is likely to continue alongside Paul Pogba in midfield. Juan Mata could look to replace Jesse Lingard while Marcus Rashford may make an appearance. Meanwhile, Mourinho praised Lukaku after the match against Real Madrid, and he is likely to start upfront.
As far as West Ham are concerned, Slaven Bilic will have to do without the services of Manuel Lanzini, Aaron Cresswell, Sofiane Feghouli, Cheikhou Kouyate and Michail Antonio due to injuries sustained by each of them.
The club made headlines when they signed Chicharito in the transfer window, and the biggest headline for this game will be the fact that United’s favourite super-sub is likely to make a return to Old Trafford.
