Football is back and Manchester United are in action on Saturday to kick-off pre-season against bitter rivals Leeds.
Ruben Amorim will want to get off to the best possible start this summer to build momentum and team spirit ahead of the upcoming campaign.
At the end of last season, for many, watching Manchester United would have felt like a chore, but a summer break can make a world of difference and now the prospect of the new season is very exciting.
Clips during pre-season training have raised excitement levels, with several players standing out in the opening sessions, impressing supporters and club staff.
But now, all of this preparation will mean nothing if United put in a disappointing and toothless performance against Leeds in Stockholm.
However, there is one line-up Amorim could name that would be very exciting.
Photo by Ash Donelon/Manchester United via Getty ImagesHow Manchester United could line-up against Leeds
On Saturday afternoon, Amorim will lead his team out in front of a passionate Scandinavian crowd. The clash comes too soon for United’s newest addition Bryan Mbeumo, who the club have agreed to spend £65m on.
However, there are still several players United fans will be keen to see in action and Amorim should go with this more exciting team which has a mix of experience and youth.
In goal, Andre Onana is injured for this clash, and Radek Vitek was left out of the squad meaning Altay Bayindir is the de facto starting goalkeeper and he has a huge chance to make a statement to Amorim.
Moving into the back-line and we cannot wait to see Leny Yoro in action this coming season. Another year of development has seen Yoro looking much stronger for United and we expect he will be improved in every area after a solid debut season.
In the middle of the back three, Matthijs de Ligt is the perfect rock for the youngsters to be led by during the upcoming season and this should begin this weekend.
On the left of the three we want to see Ayden Heaven. After costing just £1.5m in January, Heaven is ready to play a big role for United this season having been so good in limited time last campaign.
The right wing-back role seems destined to be Amad’s once Mbeumo arrives, but in this game, we would like to see Bendito Mantato given the opportunity to start against Premier League opposition. Mantato has impressed in training and is one talent who could be ready to step up.
In midfield, Sekou Kone enjoyed an impressive post season tour, which should have earned him a substantial chance during pre-season. Kone offers Amorim something different in midfield and we hope to see him in action.
Partnering Kone, we would expect the club captain, Bruno Fernandes, to be starting in his new permanent role in the midfield, offering guidance for the young players around him in our most exciting line-up.
Summer signing Diego Leon has been impressing through pre-season so far, and we’d like to see him start on Saturday to show fans what he is all about and stake a claim to be involved with the first team this season.
The right sided number 10 will surely be Mbeumo’s for the season coming up, but in this game, we would like to see Amad in the position, which leaves the wing-back open for Mantato as aforementioned. While new signings are important, we need to remember just how good Amad is.
The player all fans want to see this weekend is Matheus Cunha. An instant sensation at the club, Cunha has impressed during pre-season training with his attitude and talents a breath of fresh air for the club.
Finally, leading the line there will be no Joshua Zirkzee for United as he is recovering from a small set-back and Rasmus Hojlund won’t excite anyone. So we want to see Chido Obi given the start and a chance to make a real statement after scoring a brace on the post-season tour.
Manchester United XI to face Leeds / GRV Media line-up tool