Manchester United will be aiming to make a winning start to the Erik ten Hag era and the new Premier League campaign when they welcome Brighton to Old Trafford on Sunday afternoon.
The Reds, who were beaten 4-0 by the Seagulls in their most recent meeting, put the finishing touches to their pre-season schedule on Sunday, drawing 1-1 with Rayo Vallecano, a little over 24 hours after narrowly losing 1-0 to Atletico Madrid in Norway. Combined with the 2-2 draw with Aston Villa, those results over the weekend meant that United ended their pre-season campaign on a run of three games without a win.
However, the wins over Liverpool, Melbourne Victory and Crystal Palace in their first three friendlies have given United and their fans a reason to be optimistic ahead of the big kick-off. The pre-season campaign allowed Ten Hag to implement his style and methods, while also giving him the opportunity to run the rule over as many members of his squad as possible.
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But the beginning of competitive match-action means that his opportunities to tinker will be reduced, but not as much as they would have been in previous years. That is because, under new Premier League ruling, managers will be allowed to make up to five substitutions per game this season, choosing from a pool of nine players on the bench.
It means that several clubs could significantly benefit from the rule changing, with most top-end Premier League clubs' squads littered with game-changing talent. It could also prove beneficial to several youngsters looking to leave their calling card.
With that in mind, MEN Sport has taken a close look at five United players who could benefit from the five substitutions rule:
Charlie Savage
One of the surprise breakout stars of the pre-season tour, midfielder Savage has announced his arrival on the first-team stage ahead of the start of this season. The youngster, who only turned 19 in May, made three appearances in pre-season, producing polished performances against Liverpool, Melbourne Victory and Crystal Palace, all after stepping off the bench at half-time.
While it is important to recognise that he has several senior figures ahead of him in the pecking order, and it is vital not to apply too much pressure to young shoulders too soon, he has proven that he should be in and around the squad this season. Even if Ten Hag only wants to call on him for ten or 15 minutes to help United see out a game, he has proven he is capable.
Zidane Iqbal
Arguably the breakout star of the tour, Iqbal has got United fans licking their lips at his potential ahead of the beginning of the season. The Iraq international, who has made one competitive appearance for the Reds to date, featured in five of United's six friendlies, meaning he earned no shortage of minutes to impress Ten Hag.
Similarly to Savage's situation, it is important that he is not hyped up too early and put under a great degree of pressure. However, he is a star in the making and offers United something different in midfield, qualities that Ten Hag, given his pedigree of developing young players, might just turn to now and again in all kinds of different situations.
James Garner
Arguably the player that the fans wanted to see most in pre-season, Garner's aspirations of making his mark were dashed by injury frustrations, restricting him to just three appearances, only one of which was a start. He excelled on loan at Nottingham Forest last season and Ten Hag's plan was to use pre-season to get a good look at him ahead of making a decision on his short-term future.
If United decide to keep him this summer, opposed to sending him out on loan again, he will certainly have a part to play. More than capable of keeping things neat and tidy in midfield, he is another player with huge potential that will look to develop his game time this season. If the club fails to land a new central-midfielder, his chances ought to be immediately strengthened.
Hannibal Mejbri
Continuing with the theme of central-midfielders that will be hopeful of being in and around the squad this summer, Hannibal is another figure in contention. The youngster is highly-rated by those inside Old Trafford and he is another player with massive potential.
He made three substitute appearances in pre-season and showed glimpses of what he is capable of. He has been in and around the first-team squad for a while now and will be hoping to see his opportunities increase this season, with the rule of two additional substitutions being permitted, you would expect, set to help him.
Alejandro Garnacho
Seventy-three minutes worth of football is probably not what Garnacho expected at the start of United's pre-season schedule, but that was all his pre-season amounted to, being forced to wait until Sunday's clash with Vallecano for his first run-out under Ten Hag. He was included on the pre-season tour but didn't kick a single ball.
Despite that, he is a player with enormous potential, meaning he will expect to be in and around the first-team squad regularly this season. Although he is not yet considered ready to become a regular starter, he has the potential to be a useful weapon from the bench, especially when you consider that the Reds are light on attacking options.
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