Manchester United host Fulham at Old Trafford on Friday to kick off the new Premier League season.
WATCH MANCHESTER UNITED v FULHAM LIVE
Erik ten Hag kept his job this summer, largely because of United’s surprising FA Cup victory over Manchester City at the end of last season. But it has been a decent summer so far for United, as they’ve made key signings with the future in mind (Leny Yoro and Joshua Zirkzee) and are in the process of upgrading their injury-hit defense further. The pressure is still on ETH as INEOS have revamped the structure of football operations and now it’s all about the Dutchman getting the best out of talented youngsters and developing a clear style of play which can bring consistent performances. They played well on the break against Manchester City in the Community Shield last week but after letting in a late equalizer they lost on penalty kicks at Wembley.
[ FOLLOW LIVE: PST’s live blog for highlights & updates from Man United vs Fulham ]
Fulham have had a low-key summer with the departure of star midfielder Joao Palhinha impacting Marco Silva’s expectations for the season ahead. Tim Ream leaving has also left a leadership void, while the Cottagers have spent big on Emile Smith Rowe to give them a spark in attacking midfield as they aim to continue to consolidate themselves as a mid-table Premier League club.
How to watch Manchester United vs Fulham, stream link and start time
Kick off time: 3pm ET, Friday (August 16)
Venue: Old Trafford
TV channel: USA Network
Streaming: Watch via NBC.com
Manchester United team news, focus
The injury news in defense is not good, once again, for United. After a promising start new center back signing Leny Yoro suffered a foot injury during preseason and is out for several months, while Luke Shaw is out with a calf injury and both Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof are doubts. Tyrell Malacia remains out at left back and Rasmus Hojlund is out for the next few weeks after looking sharp in preseason as he scored against Arsenal in California then injured his hamstring moments later. Skipper Bruno Fernandes is back and has signed a new contract, while Marcus Rashford, Amad Diallo and Jadon Sancho have all played plenty of minutes in preseason with the latter back in the fold after sorting out his difference with Ten Hag. Alejandro Garnacho looked sharp when he came on in the Community Shield as he scored, while Casemiro and Kobbie Mainoo looked good in midfield with the latter only just returning after his big summer with England.
Fulham team news, focus
There are no injuries to report for Fulham, which is always the sign of a good preseason. Silva’s side are solid and dependable but it remains to be seen how much losing Palhinha will impact them. He is one of the best holding midfielders in Europe, so it will surely be an almighty blow. Still, the Cottagers have a fine array of attacking talents to punish teams on the counter with striker Rodrigo Muniz hoping to carry over his good form from last season to this, while Alex Iwobi, Smith Rowe and Andreas Pereira all possess supreme quality in the final third.
Manchester United vs Fulham prediction
All signs point towards a narrow home win as United have enough quality to find a goal when it matters, but it has been tough for them to break Fulham down in recent years. Manchester United 2-1 Fulham.