Man United head coach Ruben Amorim still has some big calls to make ahead of Sunday's Premier League opener against Arsenal at Old Trafford.
George is a Senior Football Writer for the Manchester Evening News, mostly covering Manchester United. He previously worked for football.london before joining the MEN team in July 2021. As well as covering United, George is a Championship-enthusiast and co-hosts The Championship Chat Podcast (@Champchatpod24), which you can find on all major podcast platforms.
Ruben Amorim gives instructions to Matheus Cunha on the Old Trafford touchline.
Ruben Amorim has some big calls to make ahead of the Premier League opener.
(Image: Matt McNulty/Getty Images.)
If Ruben Amorim's starting XI against Fiorentina on Saturday confirmed anything, it was that Rasmus Hojlund will not be starting Sunday's Premier League opener against Arsenal at Old Trafford.
The Dane was left out of the starting line-up for the second game running, with Amorim choosing to deploy Mason Mount up front instead.
Hojlund had watched Matheus Cunha start up front against Everton in Atlanta. Hojlund is looking increasingly likely to leave United following the arrival of striker Benjamin Sesko from RB Leipzig. The Manchester Evening News understands the former Atalanta man is open to joining AC Milan.
Whether Hojlund departs or not, Sesko is expected to be thrown straight into the starting XI this weekend and lead United's attack. He should be supported by fellow new recruits Bryan Mbeumo and Cunha, who occupied the two playmaker roles at the weekend.
Following the penalty shootout triumph over Fiorentina, Amorim admitted he has an "idea" of what his starting XI will look like for the Premier League curtain-raiser against the Gunners. However, he did concede that his players could still alter his plans.
When asked about having a selection headache, Amorim told MUTV: "That is a good thing, it's supposed to be like that, not like last season when we had to struggle to put 11 players on the pitch.
"This is a normal thing, so I have to think and they need to fight during the week so they can change my mind. I have one idea, but they can change my mind during the week."
With five days to go until the clash with Arsenal, United fans are beginning to share predictions and their opinions on what the starting XI should look like. Many of their predicted XIs have similar looks and it is unlikely their submissions will be far from the XI that is revealed at 3.15pm on Sunday afternoon.
Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim.
Ruben Amorim has some big decisions still to make.
Factoring in how pre-season unfolded and how the landscape of the squad currently looks, it can be argued that eight starters are guaranteed: Andre Onana (expected to be back fit), Leny Yoro, Amad, Bruno Fernandes, Patrick Dorgu, Mbeumo, Cunha and Sesko.
However, there is a debate to be had about who will start in the centre and on the left of the defence and alongside Fernandes in midfield.
Harry Maguire and Ayden Heaven started against Fiorentina and Casemiro got the nod in the engine room next to Fernandes. The latter's performance reminded United of why they are still in need of a midfielder.
Yoro is the only centre-back guaranteed to start against the Gunners after making four starts in a row in pre-season and producing some really promising performances, particularly in the United States. De Ligt bagged three starts, likewise Luke Shaw, but Maguire and Heaven only started twice.
Maguire and De Ligt are competing to start in the middle of the defence and that battle was always likely to be decided by pre-season performances. Heaven has made rapid progress since joining United and is an exciting option for the left-sided centre-back role, but Shaw is also in the conversation to start.
The other selection dilemma facing Amorim is who should start in midfield next to Fernandes. Kobbie Mainoo, Manuel Ugarte and Casemiro are competing for that spot and the latter earned three starts in pre-season.
However, he showed last season he struggles to keep up with the pace of the play in the Premier League. Ugarte is a solid midfield destroyer, capable of winning the ball back, but he is limited in possession.
Mainoo has talent Amorim needs to tap into, but the prospect of him and Fernandes starting next to each other in midfield risks leaving United exposed in the centre of the pitch.
With eight starters looking nailed on, three places remain up for grabs.