Four Manchester United youngster have chosen to change their shirt numbers ahead of the new season.
Erik ten Hag is preparing for his side's first pre-season run out against rivals Leeds in the Norwegian capital, Oslo. Young players are often given minutes alongside regular first-team stars and some of United's academy products could get pre-season run outs.
Some of them will be wearing new shirt numbers however as they seize on those that were left unassigned, with Kobbie Mainoo, Matej Kovar, Alvaro Fernandez and Dan Gore all donning different numbers in the upcoming campaign.
Mainoo, who made his debut against Charlton in January, was wearing No 73 but the 18-year-old has been given the No 37 shirt previously worn by James Garner, who left for Everton last summer. Mainoo remains highly-rated and claimed Jimmy Murphy Young Player of the Year award last term.
Kovar won the league while on loan at Sparta Prague last season and the Czech goalkeeper has done away with the No 40 and has taken on the No 38, which was left by Axel Tuanzebe following his release at the end of June.
Fernandez went out on loan to Preston last season and the Spaniard won the club’s Young Player of the Year award. He will swap to No 42 having previously worn 74. Paul Pogba, when he first moved to Manchester, wore 42 before enjoying success elsewhere.
Gore has previously been training with the first-team and continued to impress with the United reserves last term. He has opted for the vacant No 44, leaving behind 71 in the process.
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The full list of squad numbers will be published in due course but it has already been confirmed the new signing Mason Mount has taken on the No 7, which was worn by Cristiano Ronaldo until his sudden departure midway through last season. The shirt number has an illustrious history at Old Trafford, being donned by the likes of George Best and Eric Cantona previously.
David de Gea's exit also means there is, quite literally, no No 1 on the red side of Manchester. A move for Andre Onana is close and, should the Cameroonian sign, he would be expected to take on the shirt.
Beyond that the majority of the core numbers are taken by current players. Harry Maguire's future remains unclear and, should the £80m defender seek pastures new, he would leave No 5 vacant. Fred has also been linked with the exit door and currently wears No 17.
