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Manchester Evening News
Manchester Evening News
Sport
George Smith

Manchester United fans react to starting line-up vs Liverpool as Erik ten Hag names first team

Erik ten Hag has named his first starting line-up as Manchester United manager ahead of their pre-season opener against Liverpool at the Rajamangala National Stadium in Bangkok this afternoon, kick-off 2pm BST.

United, who were thrashed 5-0 and 4-0 respectively by Liverpool in the Premier League last season, will be looking to make a winning start to their pre-season preparations and kick-off the Ten Hag era with a positive performance. They arrived in Thailand on Saturday and have been training in humid conditions over the last few days.

The Dutchman, who has worked with most of his players for just over a fortnight, has named a strong starting line-up for his first game at the helm, featuring an array of household names, including David de Gea, Raphael Varane, who has won his fitness battle, and Marcus Rashford. Bruno Fernandes has been named as captain in the absence of the injured Harry Maguire.

READ MORE: Manchester United vs Liverpool LIVE

New signing Tyrell Malacia is on the bench, as are a plethora of youngsters, including Charlie Savage, Zidane Iqbal and Tahith Chong. Ten Hag is likely to rotate his pack as the match progresses, with his players going to need to manage their fitness loads carefully.

Although no points or major prizes are up for grabs, Ten Hag will be determined to see his side put on a promising performance and prove that they have been listening to his demands over the last fortnight. The announcement of the team, as expected, has attracted a wave of comments on social media, with everyone having been eagerly awaiting Ten Hag's first selection choice.

It is the inclusions of Scott McTominay and Fred in midfield that has attracted the most attention in response to the team being confirmed. Below, MEN Sport has taken a close look at what the supporters have had to say on social media:

United starting line-up vs Liverpool: De Gea; Dalot, Varane, Lindelof, Shaw; Fred, McTominay, Fernandes; Rashford, Martial, Sancho.

Substitutes: Heaton, Bailly, Malacia, Amad, Telles, Pellistri, Wan-Bissaka, Van de Beek, Elanga, Laird, Chong, Hannibal, Garnacho, Savage, Iqbal.

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