Following the release of the 2022/23 Premier League fixtures last week, the countdown to Manchester United's season opener against Brighton at Old Trafford on Sunday, August 7 is officially on.
The visit of the Seagulls will mark the beginning of a new era in M16 and new manager Erik ten Hag's first competitive game in charge. He will be desperate to make a winning start and ensure the horrors of the most recent campaign are nothing more than a distant memory.
But to ensure he gets off to a winning start in just under seven weeks' time, the Dutchman will be determined to make the very most of pre-season. United' s pre-season preparations will, as things stand, consist of six matches, the first of which is against Liverpool in Thailand on July 12.
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After facing Liverpool in Bangkok, United will travel to Australia for a further three fixtures, two of which are against Premier League counterparts Crystal Palace and Aston Villa. A high volume of fixtures means that Ten Hag will get the chance to rotate his pack and assess every member of his squad ahead of the big kick-off on the opening weekend in August.
With that in mind, MEN Sport has taken a close look, presuming everyone is fit and available, at three different ways Ten Hag could set his team up during the pre-season tour if he does not add to his squad before then.
Line-up one
Presuming Ten Hag starts pre-season with the current strongest line-up available to him, most of it picks itself. David de Gea would start in goal, with a recognisable back-four, from right to left, of Diogo Dalot, Raphael Varane, Harry Maguire and Luke Shaw starting in front of him.
United need to strengthen both their right-back and centre-back options this summer, but progress is proving slow on both fronts so far. Therefore, Dalot and Maguire ought to remain first choice options under Ten Hag when pre-season gets under way.
In midfield, despite United continuing to work on a deal for Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong, it is quite possible that Scott McTominay and Fred could operate as the deep midfielders, with Bruno Fernandes pulling the strings ahead of them. However, Ten Hag, even without any new midfield additions, already has several options to play with.
Up front, presuming the Dutchman continues with a trademark 4-3-3 system, Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho could join forces with Cristiano Ronaldo, offering width and pace out wide. Both Rashford and Sancho will be desperate to kick-on under Ten Hag after a disappointing 2021/22 campaign.
Line-up two
After going with a vastly experienced line-up, packed with star-studded names and leading lights for one match, Ten Hag may wish to blood some of the club's younger players and fringe options into his plans for the next. That means that, presuming Dean Henderson joins Nottingham Forest, Tom Heaton would get the nod in goal.
Ahead of the experienced shot-stopper, it would be all-change across the back-four, with Ethan Laird, Victor Lindelof, Teden Mengi and Alex Telles earning opportunities to impress. Both Laird and Mengi spent time on loan in the Championship last term and will be eager to impress Ten Hag in pre-season.
In midfield, it would be a sea of change, too, with Donny van de Beek, James Garner and Hannibal Mejbri locking out the three berths. None of the aforementioned trio are considered as defensive-midfielders, meaning it is unlikely to be a trio that Ten Hag would use in a competitive match, but it could be useful to experiment in pre-season.
In attack, Rashford could move across from right-wing and into the middle, replacing Ronaldo as the out-and-out striker, allowing Facundo Pellistri and Alejandro Garnacho to earn some minutes either side of him. The likes of Anthony Elanga and Amad would also be banging on the door.
Line-up three
Like with any manager in pre-season, you can guarantee that there will be a point where Ten Hag goes with a mixture of youth, experience and big-name stars. That means we could see moments where Garner shares the pitch with Ronaldo, for example.
Therefore, in the likelihood of this happening, De Gea could start in goal, with a back-four of Dalot, Varane, Maguire and Telles in front of him. Aaron Wan-Bissaka may also fancy his chances of earning some minutes at right-back but it remains to be seen what the coming weeks hold for him.
In midfield, Garner would earn the chance to rub shoulders with some of United's most senior figures, starting in a midfield-three alongside Fred and Van de Beek, with the latter playing in a more advanced role. Continuing with a degree of experimentation, Fernandes would also be challenging Van de Beek for the No.10 berth, likewise Hannibal.
Up front, Amad could earn an opportunity to prove his worth from the right, with Sancho returning to the left, with it likely that the England international will start the season in that position. Ronaldo would lead the line.
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