Injury-riddled Man Utd to face Leicester in league opener at Old Trafford

FILE PHOTO: Britain Football – Manchester United v Leicester City – Premier League – Old Trafford – 24/9/16
Manchester United’s Marcus Rashford scores their third goal. PHOTO: REUTERS

KATHMANDU: In what the Manchester United Gaffer Jose Mourinho calls “a difficult season” Manchester United are set to clash with Leicester City in the opening fixture of English Premier League 18/19, today.

With no new signings and the existing squad stretched with injuries and fitness issues, Mourinho has a point to prove. Similarly, England stars in the Foxes line-up were allowed an extended break and joined the squad only this week with main-man Vardy in doubt.

Foxes Manager Claude Puel has backed his faith in England defender Harry Maguire who showed an impressive run of form at the World Cup while Utd Boss Mourinho has been detracting comments from fans and critics on his troubled-waters relationship with players.

Meanwhile, Ander Herrera Sergio Romero, Antonio Valencia, Marcos Rojo and Diogo Dalot are out with injury as of Friday, and Nemanja Matic who recently underwent a surgery in the US is also ruled out, mounting pressure on existing squad to step up against the Foxes who finished 9^th last season.

The Foxes might just clinch advantageous three points in this opener against Manchester United at Old Trafford.  The match will kick-off at 8:00 pm BST on August 10, 2018, and 12:45 am NST, on August 11, 2018.

Provisional Squad, as of 4:14 NST

MANCHESTER UNITED: De Gea, Grant, Darmian, Fosu-Mensah, Shaw, Mitchell, Young, Greenwood, Lindelof, Smalling, Jones, Bailly, Pogba, McTominay, Garner, Fred, Fellaini, Mata, Chong, Lingard, Martial, Sanchez, Rashford, Lukaku.

LEICESTER CITY: Schmeichel, Jakupovic, Ward, Simpson, Benkovic, Amartey, Pereira, Morgan, Benalouane, Maguire, Evans, Fuchs, Chilwell, Elder, King, James, Mendy, Ndidi, Iborra, Choudhury, Silva, Albrighton, Gray, Kapustka, Maddison, Ghezzal, Vardy, Ulloa, Okazaki, Slimani, Iheanacho.