Erik ten Hag has named his first Manchester United starting XI for the pre-season clash with Liverpool in Bangkok this Tuesday.
Ten Hag has had lots of time to prepare for his curtain-raiser in the United dugout after his appointment was confirmed in April, with the Dutchman tearing up his Ajax contract six weeks early to officially start his job at Old Trafford the following month.
Ten Hag has overseen two weeks of first-team training at United and named his 31-man squad for their pre-season tour of Thailand and Australia last week. Cristiano Ronaldo is the notable absentee with the Portuguese superstar yet to return to pre-season training this month due to 'family reasons' after his demands to leave United after just one season emerged.
Tyrell Malacia - the only signing of the summer transfer window for the club to date – starts the game from the bench in a strong line-up that includes David De Gea, Bruno Fernandes, Jadon Sancho and Marcus Rashford.
The quartet of Axel Tuanzebe, Raphael Varane, James Garner and Scott McTominay all missed United's open training session at the Rajamangala Stadium ahead of the match, with all four instead undertaking gym work but Varane and McTominay are both fit enough to start here. The latter starts over Donny van de Beek, who only makes the bench.
David De Gea starts the game despite suggestions that the goalkeeper - who has been excluded from multiple Spain international squads - may not be a good fit for Ten Hag's style. His inclusion and Dean Henderson's loan exit strongly suggests he will once again be undisputed number one this season.
The selection of Diogo Dalot ahead of Aaron Wan-Bissaka at right-back also makes it clear that the Portuguese is favoured in the position, just as he was by Ralf Rangnick. Indeed, there are suggestions that the club will listen to offers for Wan-Bissaka this summer.
Harry Maguire is absent from the starting line-up due to a fitness concern so instead the captain's armband goes to Bruno Fernandes, showing the Portuguese maestro's status and influence in the squad - as he looks set to take on a pivotal role this campaign.
But it is in attack where the real lessons will be learned - Jadon Sancho and Marcus Rashford both start after difficult seasons, with both looking to significantly increase their goal output this campaign and develop into genuine superstars.
Neither will lead the line in Ronaldo's absence though, with that honour going instead to Anthony Martial - the Frenchman is aiming for the most incredible of redemption stories after failing to score in La Liga during a forgettable loan spell at Sevilla in the second half of last season. Can he flourish under the new boss?
Ten Hag told the club website: "We have just started, some players only one week, so we now have to construct a team, we have to construct a way of playing. So, we are really short in pre-season [so far]. We achieved something but we have to develop a lot more."
Have Your Say! What do you think of Ten Hag's first Man Utd team selection? Tell us what you think here.
Long-serving defender Phil Jones is also missing from the tour as he follows a specialist pre-season programme while returning loanee Brandon Williams is absent with an injury issue. Youngsters Shola Shoretire and Alvaro Fernandez miss out too as they are close to loan exits.
There has already been a significant exodus of players from United this year. Paul Pogba has returned to Juventus after United confirmed his exit at the end of his contract, with the club also saying goodbye to Jesse Lingard. Spanish playmaker Juan Mata's exit at the end of his contract was also confirmed.
Nemanja Matic has departed too, joining Roma, while Edinson Cavani and Lee Grant – who has taken up a coaching role at Ipswich Town – have also left the first-team squad at United. Dean Henderson has joined Nottingham Forest on a season-long loan deal while Andreas Pereira has joined Fulham on a permanent deal.
After facing Liverpool, United will move on to Australia where they will play local outfit Melbourne Victory on Friday at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground before taking on Crystal Palace at the same venue four days later. Ten Hag's squad will complete their time in Australia on 23 July with a clash against Aston Villa in Perth.
United will then return to Europe and they will take on Atletico Madrid in the Norwegian capital Oslo on 30 July before taking on La Liga side Rayo Vallecano at Old Trafford the following day. Ten Hag’s side will start their Premier League campaign with a home clash against Brighton on 7 August.
Man United XI to face Liverpool: De Gea; Dalot, Lindelof, Varane, Shaw; Fred, McTominay; Rashford, Fernandes, Sancho; Martial
