Benjamin Sesko, Bryan Mbeumo, and Matheus Cunha will make their first competitive appearances for Manchester United against Arsenal at Old Trafford on Sunday.
Manchester United will hope to start the 2025/26 Premier League campaign on the best note possible when they welcome Arsenal to Old Trafford on Sunday evening. Ruben Amorim has received positive updates on the team news front ahead of his side’s season-opening fixture.
Andre Onana (hamstring) and Joshua Zirkzee (match fitness) have recovered from their issues, and the duo is fit and available to take on Arsenal this weekend. Noussair Mazraoui (thigh) and Lisandro Martinez (knee) are the only players on the sidelines.
However, the former should be fit and available before the international break. Meanwhile, during his pre-match press conference, Amorim discussed his squad’s preparedness, suggesting he was positive about his group’s readiness to take on Arsenal.
The Manchester United manager said, “Confident. I know that we are going to struggle in some moments. It’s a game against Arsenal, so we will struggle in some moments. We are more prepared, and I think, again, I feel that we have more players that can help us, in one moment, to change the momentum of the game and that can give you confidence. And we have more options if things are not working well, we can change things. So that gives me more confidence for every game.”
Meanwhile, Amorim also provided a fitness update on several players, including Sesko, who did not play any pre-season game for the Red Devils. He said, “Nous and Licha are out. They cannot play in this game. Josh recovered, Andre recovered, they are options for this game, we will see.”
Discussing Sesko’s readiness to take on Arsenal, the Manchester United manager said, “Of course. We didn’t have a lot of time but he’s ready. First of all, physically, he’s ready. That is a big component in our league. Then, he’s really smart. Every detail he asks, he’s a guy that is always thinking. He spends all afternoon here working on his fitness, so he’s ready to play, we will see if he’s going to start.”
Sesko should lead the line for Manchester United against Arsenal, with Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha providing the creative support. The offensive trio will make their first competitive appearances for the Red Devils, with Casemiro and Bruno Fernandes pairing up in the middle of the park.
Andre Onana should be fit enough to take his spot between the sticks, with the home side lining up in the 3-4-2-1 formation against Arsenal on Sunday. The central defensive unit should feature Leny Yoro, Harry Maguire, and Luke Shaw. Finally, Diogo Dalot and Patrick Dorgu should be the two wing-backs.
Predicted Manchester United XI: Onana; Yoro, Maguire, Shaw; Dalot, Fernandes, Casemiro, Dorgu; Mbeumo, Cunha; Sesko