The new Premier League season is underway and after the initial matches on Friday and Saturday, we are approaching the first Manchester United match of the campaign. The Red Devils will host Wolverhampton Wanderers at Old Trafford in the Monday night clash, in what will be United’s first competitive match since the FA Cup final loss in early June.
Team News
Man United will not be able to count on a number of players, most notably Rasmus Hojlund. The Danish striker joined this summer in a long-awaited deal from Atalanta, but he will have to wait for his debut in the red shirt, considering his back injury that was found out about during his medical tests.
Kobie Mainoo suffered an ankle injury after impressing in the pre-season, Anthony Martial struggles with his thigh, while Tyrell Malacia has a muscle problem. Amad Diallo was supposed to be loaned out but his knee injury meant he had to stay and recover, while Tom Heaton is not in contention due to a calf injury. The good news is that Marcus Rashford is ready to start in attack, while the new signings Andre Onana and Mason Mount could make their competitive debuts for United.
Wolves, on the other side, lost their manager Julen Lopetegui, who decided to leave his post after a lack of squad reinforcements this summer. Gary O’Neill is now in his place and he will not have many issues with the health of his players. Matheus Cunha is a slight doubt due to a minor injury and that is the only thing O’Neill will have to think about in that regard.
Form Guide
There is not much to talk about in terms of form, considering we are entering the new season. We can, however, get into the details of how the two teams fared during pre-season. Looking purely at results, Man United did not have the best pre-season, but it is a well-known fact that is not something that actually matters once the season begins.
Man United defeated Leeds 2-0 in the first pre-season friendly, a full month ago. Afterwards, there was the 1-0 win against Lyon and a 2-0 win agianst Arsenal. But afterwards, things changed. Wrexham defeated the fringe players 3-1, and Real Madrid beating United’s best team the next day 2-0. Borussia Dortmund also got a 3-2 win against the Devils, while United then returned from the States to Manchester and got a nice 3-1 win against Lens last weekend. The next day, Man United and Athletic Bilbao drew 1-1 in Dublin in the Devils’ last pre-season friendly.
As for Wolves, things were good only on paper. They defeated Vitoria Guimaraes and Porto, drew against Celtic and Luton, before beating Rennes last weekend. But more importantly, the lack of their squad reinforcements and departure of their manager will mean they will not be in a great mood heading to Old Trafford.
Predicted Outcome
Considering the situation at both clubs, we predict Manchester United will beat Wolves 2-0. Erik Ten Hag will want a comfortable start to the season, with a clean sheet preferably, while Wolves are still in a difficult situation following Lopetegui’s departure from post last week.
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