New Manchester United signing Jadon Sancho (£9.5m) is only among the substitutes as the Red Devils open their 2021/22 Premier League campaign at home to Leeds United.
“It is too soon [for Jadon] to start. He’s had holidays after the Euros, he’s been ill and he’s [only] been training with us four days. It’s not really enough to be playing 90 minutes against Leeds but he’s ready to come on and make a difference.
“Anthony [Martial], as well, is working on his fitness, he’s been injured for five months. He’s only played 45 minutes since March, so it’s not fair on him to start the first game today.” – Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, ahead of kick-off
Sancho’s Fantasy Premier League (FPL) ownership of 10% is dwarfed by that of two of his teammates, who both feature in more than one in two FPL squads.
The 50%+ owned Bruno Fernandes (£12.0m) and Luke Shaw (£5.5m) both start this afternoon in a familiar-looking line-up, with the ‘McFred’ double-pivot still in place despite much pre-season talk of a 4-3-3 evolution and Leeds specialist Daniel James (£6.0m) again selected to face the Whites.
Mason Greenwood (£7.5m) leads the line for the hosts in the absence of Edinson Cavani (£8.5m), who is curiously the sixth-most captained player of Gameweek 1 despite his red flag.
As for Leeds, Junior Firpo (£5.0m) may be fit but he is not in Marcelo Bielsa’s starting XI and has to be content with a place among the substitutes.
Stuart Dallas (£5.5m) starts at left-back instead, which has a knock-on effect in midfield as Mateusz Klich (£5.5m) and Rodrigo (£6.0m) make up a rather attacking-looking core.
Robin Koch (£4.5m) is stationed in front of the back four, as the late return to pre-season training of Kalvin Phillips (£5.0m) sees the England international benched for this Saturday curtain-raiser.
“Phillips has done half the work of his teammates and with Junior, [his preparation] was also interrupted for a few days.” – Marcelo Bielsa, ahead of kick-off
Patrick Bamford (£8.0m), Raphinha (£6.5m) and Luke Ayling (£4.5m), all of whom have double-digit FPL ownerships, are also part of their manager’s line-up.
The Red Devils won this fixture 6-2 last season, with Fernandes racking up 17 points in the process.
Shaw created eight chances against Leeds across the two games between the clubs, a total not beaten by any other player.
LINE-UPS
Man Utd XI: De Gea, Wan-Bissaka, Maguire, Lindelof, Shaw, Fred, McTominay, James, Fernandes, Pogba, Greenwood.
Subs: Heaton, Mata, Martial, Pereira, Dalot, Sancho, Matic, Williams, Van de Beek
Leeds XI: Meslier, Ayling, Struijk, Cooper, Dallas, Klich, Koch, Raphinha, Rodrigo, Harrison, Bamford.
Subs: Klaesson, Firpo, Forshaw, Roberts, Costa, Phillips, Summerville, Greenwood, Shackleton
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