Match preview: United v Fulham

The Reds have already returned to competitive action, in the FA Community Shield, and we narrowly missed out on silverware at Wembley, following our 1-1 draw and penalty shootout defeat against Manchester City in the season's traditional curtain raiser.

Friday's game against the Cottagers presents a quick opportunity to build on that encouraging performance and start the league season in the best possible manner.

Keep scrolling to find team news, opposition information and details about how you can follow the game and the other Premier League matches taking place this weekend...

HOW TO WATCH AND FOLLOW

Stay tuned to MUTV, ManUtd.com and the United App for exclusive build-up and match reaction before, during and after the game. Our Matchday Live show kicks off the coverage at 18:55 BST, where you can join former Reds Dion Dublin and John O'Shea, who will be discussing all the key talking points ahead of our Premier League opener.

We'll then have live radio commentary throughout both halves and reaction from the studio at half-time and after the final whistle.

The United App will bring you in-game updates, interviews, live stats, interactive content and much more, via our official Match Centre.

Kick-off is slated for 20:00 BST and the match is being broadcast live on Sky Sports. Short match highlights and extended cuts will drop via our official channels from midnight following the game.

TEAM NEWS

New United man Leny Yoro will be sidelined for the beginning of our domestic campaign after he sustained a foot injury in our pre-season friendly against Arsenal in Los Angeles. He later underwent surgery and is expected to make a return in around three months. Tyrell Malacia is also absent, as he is still stepping up to full match fitness following his recovery from a long-term issue.

Rasmus Hojlund was absent from our clash in the capital against the Blues after he suffered a hamstring injury in that same Arsenal warm-up fixture across the pond and he is also expected to miss Friday's season opener.

Luke Shaw and Victor Lindelof both missed the derby at Wembley, but further updates could arrive from Ten Hag in his press conference on Thursday.

Fulham look to be heading to Old Trafford with a clean bill of health to kick their campaign off but, similarly, more detail could arrive from manager Marco Silva in his media briefing.

THE OPPOSITION

A relatively stable season for the London club saw them finish up in 13th place in 2023/24. Boss Silva kicks off his fourth season in charge at the club in Friday's bout at the Theatre of Dreams, as he looks to improve on consecutive mid-table finishes since promotion from the Championship in 2022.

The two clubs swapped away wins last season as Bruno Fernandes's last-minute strike at Craven Cottage to earn United three points was avenged later in the season by Alex Iwobi's own stoppage-time winner in M16.

It was the first time the Cottagers had beaten the Reds in the league at Old Trafford since 2003, so Ten Hag's side will go into this clash looking to reassert our home dominance.

SUMMER BUSINESS

Despite the domestic season getting under way this weekend, clubs are still able to buy and sell players until the 30 August deadline, but both clubs have already been active in the market.

The Reds have, of course, welcomed defender Yoro to the club, with the France defender joining from Lille last month. He impressed in his pre-season outings in a red shirt, but sadly, as mentioned above, suffered a foot injury that will see him miss the first part of the term.

We have also seen the arrival of forward Joshua Zirkzee from Italian outfit Bologna. The Dutchman impressed last term, picking up 11 goals and five assists in Serie A, before agreeing his exciting switch to Manchester. He was on the bench for our Community Shield clash with City, but is still awaiting a debut and the game against Fulham could afford him a first opportunity to represent the Reds.

Our opponents have also been busy sealing transfer business over the summer break. They've acquired former Arsenal midfielder Emile Smith Rowe and have also added defenders Ryan Sessegnon and Jorge Cuenca to their ranks, from Tottenham and Villarreal respectively.

OTHER MATCHES

Our game kicks off the new Premier League season, with the 18 other top-flight sides in action over the following days...

FRIDAY 16 AUGUST

UNITED v Fulham (20:00 BST)

SATURDAY 17 AUGUST

Ipswich v Liverpool (12:30 BST)
Arsenal v Wolves
Everton v Brighton
Newcastle v Southampton
Nottingham Forest v Bournemouth
West Ham v Aston Villa (17:30 BST)

SUNDAY 18 AUGUST

Brentford v Crystal Palace (14:00 BST)
Chelsea v Manchester City (16:30 BST)

MONDAY 19 AUGUST

Leicester v Tottenham (20:00 BST)

All kick-offs 15:00 BST unless otherwise stated.

PLAY FANTASY UNITED 

Our new United-specific fantasy football game is live for the 2024/25 season! From the Fulham match onwards, you can score points based on the real-life actions of your chosen Player Trading Cards from Erik ten Hag’s first-team squad, in all competitive men’s matches this term.

Click here to read our guide to Fantasy United, and to pick your team head to manutd.com/fantasy!