Manchester United vs Man City: Expected starting lineups for Community Shield

Manchester United will look to secure a second statement victory over Manchester City in a matter of months with the FA Cup winners seeking more silverware in the Community Shield.

Manchester United vs Man City: Expected starting lineups for Community Shield

Manchester City will aim to end a five-year wait for a Community Shield victory when they take on neighbours Manchester United at Wembley.

The two sides will return to the London venue for the first time since the FA Cup final – which was the last competitive outing for both teams. On that occasion it was those in red who lifted the trophy as they secured an upset victory to salvage their season.

Pep Guardiola’s title winners have lost in this game for the past three years running – Leicester, Liverpool and Arsenal all getting the better of them. The Catalan will be seeking to win it for a third time but will be without several of his leading lights.

The most notable absentee will be Rodri with the Euro 2024 winner among those unavailable for the contest at Wembley. The Spaniard was given an extended break and hasn’t begun his pre-season. England trio John Stones, Phil Foden and Kyle Walker are in the same boat.

Erling Haaland is among those dealing with minor injury issues, but is likely to get the nod and will be fed by the likes of Kevin De Bruyne and Bernardo Silva.

United have their own injury concerns with Leny Yoro a major miss. Their new signing is sidelined for months but Lisandro Martinez is set to be a huge inclusion. A number of the club’s defenders, Harry Maguire among them, is included in the squad but remains a doubt and was labelled “a question mark”

Erik ten Hag also has issues in the final third and will have to seek makeshift solutions. Jadon Sancho, Marcus Rashford and Amad Diallo are poised to be among those spearheading the United attack. Sancho has found a way back into Ten Hag’s plans but is among those linked with the exit door whilst Rashford needs to rediscover his best form.

Joshua Zirkzee, the club’s other summer signing, could make his debut at Wembley but the Dutchman is more likely to appear from the bench if he does feature. Ten Hag, despite the doubters he faced last season, can win a third trophy if United can get the job done.

City meanwhile will be wise to the fact that the season’s curtain raiser is far from a gauge of what will happen over the coming months. Only once in the last decade has the Community Shield winner gone on to be the Premier League winner – Guardiola’s City doing so in 2018.

MANCHESTER CITY: Ortega; Lewis, Dias, Akanji, Gvardiol; De Bruyne, Kovacic; Bobb, Silva, Grealish; Haaland.

MANCHESTER UNITED: Onana; Dalot, Maguire, Martinez, Amass; Eriksen, Casemiro; Amad, Mount, Sancho; Rashford.