Key events
Manchester United: Some players, like Marcus Rashford, had a summer off but Erik ten Hag’s squad remains bedevilled by injuries and other absentees, writes Will Unwin.
Manchester City: Pep Guardiola says City are open to bringing in a central midfielder and a striker but will not be held to ransom over fees. Words: Will Unwin.
Some transfer tittle-tattle: The word on the street is that Manchester United are closing in on the acquisition of Bayern Munich duo Matthijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui and could pay up to £60m for the two players. A Dutch cenre-back, De Ligt was an Ajax skipper under Ten Hag, while Morocco full-back Mazraoui also played for Ten Hag at Ajax.
Manchester United: In news that could send a chill shiver down the collective spine of United fans who already think their goalkeeper is something of a liability, André Onana has declared he will “take a lot of risks” this season and will accept any criticism coming his way if he costs his side victories. Jamie Jackson reports …
Today’s match officials
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Referee: John Brooks
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Referee’s assistants: Adrian Holmes and Nick Greenhalgh
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Fourth Official: Jarred Gillett
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Video Assistant Referee: Peter Bankes
Those teams: Congratulations to 19-year-old midfielder Nico O’Reilly, an academy grduate who makes his senior debut for Manchester City today. James McAtee also lines up in City’s midfield, having spent the past two seasons on loan at Sheffield United. Erling starts up front, while Jack Grealish is not in the squad, with reports sugesting he has suffered some manner of injury.
Harry Maguir and Jonny Evans line up in the hearty of Manchester United’s defence, with Lisandro Martinez filling in at left-back in the absence of Aaron Wan-Bissaka, who is rumoured to be off to West Ham.
The presence of Casemiro in United’s midfield may worry some fans, not least because he finished last season quite poorly and is reported to have put in several disappointing performances in United’s pre-season tour. Bruno Fernades looks set to fill in as a makeshift striker, while new signing Joshua Zirkzee starts on the bench.
Manchester City v Manchester United line-ups
Manchester City: Ederson, Lewis, Akanji, Dias, Gvardiol, Kovacic, O’Reilly, McAtee, Bobb, Doku, Haaland.
Subs: Ortega, Carson, Phillips, Ake, De Bruyne, Bernardo, Savinho, Nunes, Kabore.
Manchester United: Onana, Dalot, Maguire, Evans, Martinez, Casemiro, Mainoo, Fernandes, Mount, Amad, Rashford.
Subs: Bayindir, Collyer, Eriksen, McTominay, Pellistri, Antony, Garnacho, Sancho, Zirkzee.
Your City side at Wembley! 🩵
XI | Ederson, Lewis, Akanji, Dias (C), Gvardiol, Kovacic, O’Reilly, McAtee, Bobb, Doku, Haaland
SUBS | Ortega Moreno, Carson, Phillips, Ake, De Bruyne, Bernardo, Savinho, Nunes, Kabore#ManCity | @etihad pic.twitter.com/TMSuFfhOuL
— Manchester City (@ManCity) August 10, 2024
Early Man City team news
Ederson missed last weekend’s friendly with a reported “niggle”, although a cynic could be forgiven for thinking he was being wrapped in cotton wool ahead of a potential move to Saudi Arabia.
John Stones, Kyle Walker, Phil Foden and Rodri are all unavailable for selection as they are still on holiday after going all the way to the final of Euro 2024. Kevin De Bruyne, Jeremy Doku, Ruben Dias, Matheus Nunes, and Bernardo Silva all returned to training this week and could play this afternoon.
Erling Haaland, who had no international obligations this summer and is fully rested, is expected to start and comes into this game on the back of a hat-trick he scored in a friendly against Chelsea last weekend. Signed from Troyes this summer, the Brazilian winger Savio may also start today. His Argentinian counterpart Julian Alvarez will not be playing for City today because he is on the verge of completing his surprise £81.5m move to Atletico Madrid.
Early Man United team news
Manchester United’s new signing Leny Yoro is out for three months with a fractured metatarsal, while Tyrell Malacia remains unavailable after missing the entirety of last season with a knee injury.
Elsewhere in the United defence, there are concerns over the availability of Harry Maguire, Victor Lindelof, Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Luke Shaw. Lisandro Martinez could feature for some or all of today’s game, despite having only reported back from Copa Ameria duty with Argentina on Monday morning.
Despite not having featured in Manchester United’s pre-season preparations as he’s been trying to have another holiday after his late call-up from Disney World to the Netherlands Euro 2024 squad, Joshua Kirkzee could make his United debut today in the absence of Rasmus Hojlund, who is sidelined with a hamstring injury. A £42.5m signing from Bologna, Zirkzee is United’s only fit centre-forward.
Community Shield: Man City v Man United
Welcome back. In a repeat of the FA Cup final played at Wembley in May, Manchester United and Manchester City reconvene at FA HQ for the traditonal season curtain-raiser ahead of next weekend’s first round of Premier League fixtures.
Erik ten Hag’s side were the surprise winner of the FA Cup when last time these sides met but comparatively little at stake in this glorified friendly, the odds seem stacked against them again this afternoon, due in no small part to something of a pre-season injury crisis.
Kick-off at Wembley between these Mancunian rivals is at 3pm (BST) but we’ll have team news and build-up in the meantime.