Manchester United are preparing for their Premier League opener for the 2026/27 season against Hull City on Saturday afternoon, and Michael Carrick already knows what players are likely to be available for the game.

The Red Devils completed their pre-season campaign with a 4-2 defeat to AC Milan, now managed by former boss Ruben Amorim, this past weekend, and all preparations will now turn towards their trip to the MKM Stadium.

After a summer World Cup which saw several Old Trafford stars unavailable for much of the pre-season clashes that saw them play in Sweden, Norway, Finland, and Norway, there have been question marks about the availability of certain players for the game. But the situation is now much clearer following the final pre-season game.

Matthijs De Ligt

De Ligt suffered a back injury in November 2025 following a 2-1 win over Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park, and despite it initially being described minor, the Netherlands international hasn’t played since.

In fact, the centre-back was forced to undergo surgery during the summer, and while he has now returned to first-team training, he is not expected to be available to play for a little while longer.

De Ligt didn’t feature at all during pre-season and will need to build up some minutes before being ready for the first-team, which may come after the international break.

Tom Heaton

The veteran goalkeeper signed a new one-year extension at the club this summer to stay as part of the squad, but he suffered a hamstring injury during the recent pre-season friendly clash against PSG.

Heaton was highly unlikely to play in the Premier League anyway, having never appeared in the competition before for the club, but he is now unlikely to be available for a period of time as a result of the injury. Senne Lammens will be first-choice, and should start against Hull.

Benjamin Sesko

Action Images via Reuters/Jason Cairnduff

A successful first season with Man Utd for Sesko was ended abruptly after he was forced off injury in the 3-2 win over Liverpool at Old Trafford in May with a shin injury.

It was expected that the issue was relatively minor, but Sesko has been unable to recover over the summer and is yet to feature at all during pre-season. The Slovenia international is now highly unlikely to be fit to start against Hull as a result, although he could potentially return and claim a spot on the substitutes bench.

Manuel Ugarte

REUTERS/Raquel Cunha

Manuel Ugarte wasn’t expected to be a Man Utd player this summer with the club looking to move him on two summers after his arrival from PSG, but the Uruguay international suffered a serious knee injury at the World Cup and that move was called off.

Now the midfielder faces a long rehabilitation phase as he recovers from surgery on his ACL, and he won’t be available for the rest of the year, with a return in February or March looking most likely.

Mason Mount

Mount has had an injury-hit spell at Old Trafford since joining from Chelsea three years ago, but looked set to have a new role under Carrick this season after being deployed in a deeper midfield role during pre-season.

His performances were impressive and had him in line for a start, before he suffered an injury in the first-half of the draw with PSG, which has caused him to miss the following two games against Leeds and AC Milan.

The club have said that it’s a minor injury and him missing those games was a precaution, but his injury record suggests it could end up being more, and he should be considered a doubt for the Premier League opener.

Kobbie Mainoo

Mainoo returned to Man Utd following a disappointing World Cup where he didn’t play a single minute for Thomas Tuchel, and he missed the third-place playoff win over France due to a minor injury.

But the midfield sensation is now fit and made his first appearance of pre-season during the defeat to AC Milan as a second-half substitute. He’s available to play, but a lack of preparation so far this season means he could start on the bench, with summer signings Andrey Santos and Youri Tielemans more likely to get the nod.

Lisandro Martinez

Lisandro Martinez returned from a serious knee injury last season and became a key member of the team under Carrick in the second half of the campaign. He was then key for Argentina as they reached a second consecutive World Cup final, before being forced off with an injury during the defeat to Spain.

But Martinez’s thigh problem was minor and the defender played 30 minutes in the pre-season clash with AC Milan at the weekend. He’s fit and available to play should Carrick pick him, but Ayden Heaven has impressed throughout pre-season and seems more likely to get the nod at this stage.

Karl Darlow

Darlow joined on a free transfer from Leeds this summer, but after undergoing a minor surgery at the end of the last campaign he has yet to don the shirt of his new employer.

The expectation is that he will be fit to be part of the squad in the near future, but much like Heaton, he isn’t expected to be picked before Senne Lammens anyway, so his absence isn’t a huge blow while the Belgian is fit and available.

Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho is supposedly pushing the La Liga giants to swoop for Arsenal midfielder Martin Zubimendi, in what would be a head-turning move at the end of the transfer window.

The 27-year-old only arrived at the Emirates Stadium in a £55million move from Real Sociedad last season. Zubimendi’s first season in North London was an undoubted success, playing more than 4,000 minutes across 57 appearances as he helped the side to the Premier League title.

The Spaniard is known for doing the not-so-glamorous work in the centre of the park, but still chipped in with a solid six goals and three assists from defensive midfield. However, that does not necessarily mean that Arsenal should block all transfer offers.

Real Madrid interested in Arsenal midfielder

Via Reuters

In a report, TEAMtalk claims that Real Madrid have already held discussions with Arsenal and that the player’s representatives are weighing up opportunities away from London. It’s added that the Gunners are open to selling Zubimendi, despite the midfielder having another four years left on his contract.

Real Madrid are said to be long-term admirers of Zubimendi, who was thoroughly impressive in La Liga with Real Sociedad. The player has made 180 appearances in the Spanish top flight.

The Galacticos are set to miss out on the signing of Manchester City man Rodri, who will sign for fierce rivals Barcelona, and are looking for an extra body in the centre of the park to allow Eduardo Camavinga to leave.

Martin Zubimendi offers Arsenal unique profile

Action Images via Reuters/Peter Cziborra

Ultimately, Arsenal must not fight to sell Zubimendi. The Spaniard was a key cog in the title-winning machine last season and brings a calmness to proceedings. The player is only going to improve over the upcoming campaign, having now adjusted to the football and life in England.

It’s easy to understand where the transfer speculation comes from. Myles Lewis-Skelly had been preferred in midfield towards the end of last season and the marquee arrival of Bruno Guimaraes provides serious competition for Zubimendi.

Zubimendi was only handed a cameo off the bench against Manchester City in the Community Shield and will face a tougher fight to get into the side over the upcoming season.

Martin Zubimendi 2025/26 statistics

However, the player offers Arteta and Arsenal a different profile to that of Guimaraes, Declan Rice, Eberechi Eze, Mikel Merino and Martin Odegaard. Zubimendi is a more conservative and cautious option – the only similar profile at the club was Christian Norgaard, who has left for Everton this summer.

That is not to say that Arsenal must hang up on any calls that come in for Zubimendi, should Mourinho be truly interested in bringing the player back to Spain. Spanish outlet Mundo Deportivo claim that the Gunners have slapped a £77million price tag on the star.

That’s a loftier fee than the £65million sum Manchester City have pocketed for Ballon d’Or winner Rodri. Should Real Madrid come with an offer around that ballpark, given the number of options in midfield, Arsenal must consider a sale, but are in a position to call the shots.

Roy Keane has always been happy to share his opinions of those he’s played with and against throughout his career, and his verdict on the toughest midfielders of his era is no different.

Speaking on Sky Sports’ Monday Night Football back in 2019, the Manchester United legend was asked to reflect on the standout midfielders he faced during his playing days.

Rather than reaching for the obvious superstar names, he singled out three players who gave him more than just a hard time during one of the most thrilling eras in Premier League history.

It says plenty about the players in question, given Keane’s well-documented rivalry with former Arsenal captain Patrick Vieira.

What Roy Keane Said About His Toughest Opponents

It’s a distinctly British trio that Keane singled out over the likes of Vieira, with the Irishman explaining exactly what made facing them such a challenge:

The 55-year-old, who retired in 2006 before moving into coaching and punditry, didn’t hold back on just how physical those battles could get. “And, again, Gary was pretty nasty. Batty was nasty. People always remember me kicking people – a lot of these lads were kicking me! I was just retaliating over the years, that’s all.”

All three built reputations as combative, tenacious midfielders. Batty was renowned as one of the hardest tacklers of his generation, particulary in his time with hometown club Leeds United. Lee offered a physical, box-to-box presence, and Speed combined a tireless work-rate with genuine quality across two decades at the top level.

Trio Starred For Kevin Keegan at Newcastle

All three players were key figures for Newcastle, with Lee and Batty featuring in the late Kevin Keegan’s side of the mid-1990s, which came agonisingly close to ending their long wait for a league title, finishing just four points behind Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United in the unforgettable 1995/96 title race.

The Magpies famously led by as many as 12 points before United reeled them in, with Batty and Lee part of the engine room that kept “The Entertainers” competing at the top of the table throughout that campaign.

It remains the closest Newcastle have ever come to Premier League glory.