Team news for Leeds friendly

Wednesday 12 July 2023 09:47

The clock is ticking before Manchester United kick off our pre-season campaign with a clash against Leeds United at 16:00 BST.

The friendly in Oslo is a great opportunity for MUTV viewers to get a first look at the Reds in advance of the new season, with each of the eight fixtures, including Tour 2023 in its entirety, live on our official channel.

The big news is that Mason Mount is part of the travelling squad and expected to make his first appearance since joining, whether as a starter or substitute. The manager is likely to make a number of substitutions in order to give minutes to most of the individuals on the trip, which is how he approached the warm-up games last year, with two completely different XIs.

Mount will be keen to make an instant impact after being welcomed so heartily to the club.

Fans will also be eager to see Lisandro Martinez for the first time since he injured his foot against Sevilla in the Europa League tie back in April, and he will be relishing the tussle with the Yorkshire side.

Raphael Varane is another vastly experienced option in the centre of defence while Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Brandon Williams are the most senior full-backs in the 26-man squad.

Tom Heaton could start in goal, with Nathan Bishop and Matej Kovar, fresh from an excellent loan season at Sparta Prague, hoping for a memorable moment in their careers by getting to don the gloves.

Fred should receive some time in the middle of the park and Isak Hansen-Aaroen will be itching to perform in his native Norway, as one of plenty of youngsters in the group.

Supporters will also enjoy seeing those back from loans in the EFL, including Hannibal and Amad, with Jadon Sancho, a scorer in the 2-2 home draw with Leeds United last term, the most senior of our forwards. Who leads the line is one of the questions that needs answering, and it will be interesting to see which formation Erik deploys.

United are not only without those involved in the end-of-season internationals but also some players who are still undergoing individual training programmes back at Carrington.

Nonetheless, there is a sense of anticipation already over the starting line-up, which will be published first in the United App.

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