Scout Notes – Pre-Season

Romelu Lukaku breaks his duck while Antonio Valencia sees red as Manchester United warm up for the forthcoming derby clash with a second successive victory.

Elsewhere, Joe Hart might be close to a loan move, but it is up front where West Ham need fresh blood as they are held to a goalless draw in their opening pre-season encounter.

Here are the notes from the latest matches.

Real Salt Lake 1 Manchester United 2

Romelu Lukaku opened his Manchester United account with the winner in an increasingly bad-tempered and mildly bizarre match in Utah.

The Belgian forward, with 45.2% Fantasy Premier League ownership, is currently the most popular player in the game and he latched on to a Henrikh Mkhitaryan pass to score before the break in United’s second pre-season match of the summer.

The lively Mkhitaryan had earlier equalised for the Red Devils – his second strike of the US tour – following good work by Jesse Lingard. The 8.0-priced Armenian is currently in fine form and, with just 3.2% ownership, is doing his best to plug his differential credentials ahead of United’s very kindly set of opening fixtures.

Lingard (6.0) is another who has so far impressed over United’s two fixtures.

A completely new line-up took to the pitch for the second-half – their opponents had already made the same move just 33 minutes into the encounter – but the visitors finished the match with just ten men when Antonio Valencia was dismissed for a challenge from behind on Salt Lake’s Sebastian Saucedo.

Even then, referee Allen Chapman gave Jose Mourinho the option to simply substitute Valencia as he didn’t want to brandish a red card in a friendly. But when Mourinho refused, Valencia was given his marching orders.

The clash grew increasingly spicy in the second half, with Juan Mata injured by a heavy challenge from Saucedo, and Matteo Darmian also limping off with a knock late on.

Mourinho played down the extent of both injuries post-match.

“Mata has a big ankle, but I hope it is nothing important. A few days, a week, probably. Darmian’s problem is not an important one.”

After utilising a back three in the win over LA Galaxy at the weekend, Mourinho opted for a 4-2-3-1 formation, declaring pre-match that his players would be:

“…playing in different positions and thinking football in a different way and being organised in a different way. We are also going to play with four at the back.”

That gave new signing Victor Lindelof, already a popular pick with 17.2% FPL ownership, a chance to make his first start for the club, while Mkhitaryan and Lingard were employed just behind Lukaku up front.

Mourinho’s 11 changes at the break included Sergio Romero replacing Joel Pereira in goal, with David de Gea not involved.

United will face rivals City in the early hours of Friday morning.

Manchester United XI First half: J Pereira; Fosu-Mensah, Lindelof, Jones, Blind; Carrick, Pogba, McTominay; Lingard, Mkhitaryan; Lukaku.

Manchester United XI Second half: Romero; Valencia, Bailly, Smalling, Darmian; Herrera, Fellaini, A Pereira; Mata (Mitchell 59), Martial (Tuanzebe 90); Rashford.

SK Sturm Graz II 0 West Ham United 0

Youngsters and new signings blooded, 22 players used and no-one injured – West Ham’s first run-out of the summer ticked a number of pre-season boxes.

Unfortunately, the ‘goals scored’ box wasn’t one of them as Slaven Bilic’s men drew a blank in Austria.

Bilic handed Pablo Zabaleta his Hammers debut at right-back in a 4-5-1 formation that had Ashley Fletcher as a lone striker supported by Andre Ayew from the left and Robert Snodgrass wide on the right.

Mark Noble returned following his recent operation on a long- standing abdominal injury to captain the first-half line-up and came close to breaking the deadlock with a late free-kick. Manuel Lanzini then took over set-piece duties after the interval.

The Argentinian midfielder is currently the most popular West Ham pick among Fantasy Premier League managers, his 7.0 price and attacking potential tempting 7.1% into early investment, and he had chances both from dead-ball situations and open play as the visitors pushed for a winner.

Left-back Aaron Cresswell took over the captain’s armband from Noble for the second half, while Spanish striker Toni Martinez replaced Fletcher up front, with Bilic’s striker options severely limited by injuries to Andy Carroll (hip) and Diafra Sakho (back).

That lack of depth among the forwards is one area Bilic has been keen to address in the transfer market, while the reported loan signing of England goalkeeper Joe Hart will at least provide plenty of competition at the other end of the pitch.

Michail Antonio (hamstring) and Winston Reid (knee) also played no part as they continue their recovery work, while Jose Fonte has been given extra time off after helping Portugal reach the semi-finals of the Confederations Cup.

Bilic also revealed that midfielder Cheikou Kouyate suffered a setback in training, injuring his knee “in a very strange and awkward way”.

The Hammers face Fulham next on Thursday.

West Ham United XI: Adrian (Randolph 46); Zabaleta (Byram 46), Collins (Rice 46), Burke (Ogbonna 46), Masuaku (Cresswell 46); Noble (Cullen 46), Obiang (Makasi 46), Holland (Fernandes 46); Snodgrass (Lanzini 46), Ayew (Feghouli (46); Fletcher (Martinez 46).

A reminder that all the friendly results and key Scout Notes are being captured here, in our Pre-Season Guide.