Manchester, Aug 17 (IANS) Viktor Gyokeres and Martin Zubimendi make their Premier League debuts as Arsenal take on Manchester United at Old Trafford on Sunday. The Reds are without Andre Onana, who missed the entire pre-season campaign due to injury.
In his place Altay Bayindir is in goal, against the club he produced a Man of the Match performance against in last term’s FA Cup third-round success at the Emirates Stadium.
Fans will have to wait to see Benjamin Sesko’s debut, as he is on the bench, but both Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha start.
Mason Mount is rewarded for an impressive display in the Snapdragon Cup against Fiorentina with a place as one of the two no.10s, Matthijs de Ligt edges Harry Maguire out of the middle of defence and Diogo Dalot is preferred to Amad in the right wing-back slot.
Joshua Zirkzee is fit enough to be among the substitutes, following his lay-off, but there is no Rasmus Hojlund in the matchday squad.
For Arsenal, the Swedish No. 14 starts up front, while Spaniard Zubimendi is in the midfield alongside Declan Rice and skipper Martin Odegaard. The duo become the 915th and 916th players to represent Arsenal men’s first team, while three other new arrivals are all on the bench.
David Raya starts in goal behind a back four of Ben White, William Saliba, Gabriel and Riccardo Calafiori. Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli are on either side of Gyokeres.
Kepa Arrizabalaga, Cristhian Mosquera and Noni Madueke are also potential debutants on the bench, while Christian Norgaard is not in the squad.
Squad:
Man United: Bayindir; Yoro, De Ligt, Shaw; Dalot, Casemiro, Fernandes (c), Dorgu; Mbeumo, Mount; Cunha.
Substitutes: Heaton, Fredricson, Heaven, Maguire, Mainoo, Ugarte, Amad, Sesko, Zirkzee.
Arsenal: Raya, White, Saliba, Gabriel, Calafiori, Zubimendi, Rice, Odegaard, Saka, Martinelli, Gyokeres.
Substitutes: Arrizabalaga, Timber, Lewis-Skelly, Mosquera, Merino, Nwaneri, Trossard, Madueke, Havertz.
–IANS
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