Matthijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui could make Man Utd debuts against Fulham

By Simon Peach, PA Chief Football Writer

Erik ten Hag has confirmed new signings Matthijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui will go straight into Manchester United’s squad for Friday’s Premier League opener against Fulham.

The Red Devils completed a double deal with Bayern Munich on Tuesday having secured the signings of forward Joshua Zirkzee and teenage defender Leny Yoro earlier in the window.

De Ligt joined for €45million rising to a possible €50 million, with full-back Mazraoui arriving for €15 million that could reach €20 million.

Ten Hag worked with both players at Ajax and confirmed they would be involved against Fulham as United start the campaign with some absentees.

“Issues are there but it’s not about the players who are not available,” the Dutchman said. “It’s also what I said always last season.

“It’s about the players who are available and we have a good group, we can make a strong selection, we can put out a strong team so we will do.”

Asked if De Ligt and Mazraoui were ready to start, and about Harry Maguire’s fitness after sustaining a knock in the Community Shield, Ten Hag said: “They will be in the squad. Harry Maguire will be in the squad as well.”

Rasmus Hojlund and Yoro are out with injuries sustained on the pre-season tour of the United States, while left-backs Luke Shaw and Tyrell Malacia are unavailable just as they were at the end of last term.

The latter is recovering from a knee issue that kept him out of the entirety of the 2023-24 campaign, while Shaw is sidelined until after September’s international break with a calf complaint.

“I think he will return in the short term,” Ten Hag said of the England international. “It doesn’t take long.

“We are looking forward, of course, to Luke Shaw (returning). A very important player for our team.

“He is massively important so we want to get him back as soon as possible but we can’t force this process.”

United had to once again muddle through without an out-and-out left-back in last weekend’s promising but ultimately frustrating Community Shield shoot-out defeat to Manchester City.

Lisandro Martinez started there at Wembley, while Diogo Dalot and new signing Mazraoui can play there as Ten Hag waits for issues to ease at the start of his third season in charge.

“It’s true it’s not the pre-season where you can in five, six weeks work on the team,” Ten Hag said. “It’s very complicated.

“We had the USA tour squad, then we add the players who did the Euros and Copa America, and now new signings and now we have to make a team from it.

“That team is not ready, but the league starts and there are more managers to deal with this problem.

“We definitely have this problem but, still, we have some rules, some principles and we have to make a start.

“We can’t hide ourselves, we can’t run away from it, so we have to deal with it.”

Meanwhile, Qualcomm have triggered the extension of their principal shirt partnership with United.

The initial three-year term sees the Snapdragon brand feature on the front of the shirt and has been extended until 2029 a year ahead of schedule.