Man Utd team news: Injuries, suspensions and line-up vs Leicester City Everything you need to know ahead of the Premier League clash at Old Trafford on Friday Manchester United and Leicester City raise the curtain on the Premier League season on Friday night at Old Trafford, and for the home side the new campaign will come as blessed relief following a turbulent summer. Jose Mourinho's squad bears a similar face to that on display last season, with Brazilian midfielder Fred their only established signing alongside back-up goalkeeper Lee Grant and promising young full-back Diogo Dalot. The Red Devils will also be partially affected by the late return of some of their players after successful World Cup campaigns, but some of them will be pushed into action by the manager due to a growing injury crisis which was increased during an indifferent run of form in their pre-season campaign. Man Utd Injuries United are without six players through injury alone for the opening game of the season, even overlooking those who may not yet be match fit following their late return to the camp. Nemanja Matic has undergone surgery on an abdominal issue picked up at the World Cup, while Dalot has also been under the knife due to a knee problem. Sergio Romero and Marcos Rojo also had surgeries after being injured on international duty, with Romero having missed Argentina's entire run in Russia as a result. Antonio Valencia limped out of the pre-season draw with San Jose Earthquakes with a calf injury, while Ander Herrera is out after developing a problem during the loss to Bayern Munich last Sunday. Man Utd Suspensions Neither team has any suspension concerns carried over from the end of last season. Possible Man Utd Starting Line-Up Mourinho could well name a very similar line-up to the one which took the field against Bayern Munich last week, although he does have the option of calling in more than one of his late returners. The likes of Paul Pogba, Romelu Lukaku and Ashley Young have had less than a week's training after their progress to the final weekend of the World Cup and all three could be considered. With Herrera injured, Mourinho will be forced into at least one change, which will likely see him ask Pogba to step up and make a start, while Lukaku and Young may be given starts if the manager chooses to overlook Marcus Rashford and Luke Shaw. Despite the club failing to add a centre-back during the transfer window, Mourinho still has many options in that department, and Chris Smalling and Phil Jones are among the alternatives to Eric Bailly and Victor Lindelof. Meanwhile, Matteo Darmian continues to deputise for Valencia despite the fact he is likely to leave before the month is out, and Andreas Pereira should make his first league start for the club after season-long loan spells at Granada and Valencia. Leicester City Team News Foxes fans were given the double boost on Thursday of confirmation of Harry Maguire's presence this season following United's interest and the announcement that Jamie Vardy has signed a new long-term contract. Besides the news surrounding the England pair they have also had the injection of new signings Filip Benkovic and Caglar Soyuncu to add to a host of earlier purchases. Among them are former United centre-half Jonny Evans on a £3.5 million deal from relegated West Bromwich Albion, while Danny Ward has been signed from Liverpool for £12.5m as competition for long-term number one Kasper Schmeichel. Article continues below They also added £25m James Maddison from Norwich City and Ricardo Pereira from Porto for £22.5m, while Riyad Mahrez departed to Manchester City, to give Claude Puel's squad a fresh look heading into the new campaign following their ninth-place finish last time around. TV Channel & Kick-off time The match at Old Trafford kicks off at 8pm BST on Friday, with live coverage available in the UK on Sky Sports Premier League and Sky Sports Main Event. In the U.S. the game will be shown on NBCSN at 3pm ET. Best Opta Match facts<doc-sep>Speaking to MUTV and in his press conference ahead of the clash with the Foxes at Old Trafford, the manager confirmed Ander Herrera and Nemanja Matic are among several players who could miss the first game and those who only returned to training on Monday are not 100 per cent ready. “No miracles,” he declared. “The players with a proper pre-season are fit and they are strong. For example, Alexis Sanchez had a good pre-season with lots of matches and lots of minutes. He's more than ready but you cannot have the players who arrived only last Monday after the World Cup semi-finals or final and three weeks' holiday. You cannot expect them to be fit. ”They returned on Monday. They trained on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and today, so you can imagine that they're not really fit and ready, but we have needs.<doc-sep>The 2018 summer transfer window won't live long in the memories of Manchester United supporters. United began the window well with the early acquisitions of Fred and Diogo Dalot but Lee Grant was the only man to follow over the next two months as Jose Mourinho was left frustrated by the club's lack of dealings. You're probably wondering how we can bring you any transfer news the day after the closure of the window - but don't fret, we will find a way. In slightly more positive news, the new Premier League season gets underway tonight with United's game against Leicester at Old Trafford and we'll be bringing you all the build-up to that game right here. United have also confirmed their squad numbers for the 2018/19 season ahead of the game and the players have arrived at the Lowry Hotel ahead of the opening game of the season. So, yeah, stick with us (or come back at your leisure at regular intervals throughout the day) for your daily fix of all things United.<doc-sep>
Paul Pogba and Anthony Martial were among Manchester United squad members who met up ahead of the Premier League curtain-raiser against Leicester at Old Trafford tonight. World Cup Pogba winner only returned to training this week, having not featured for United in pre-season due to his post-World Cup break. The Frenchman was linked with a move to Barcelona over the summer but was spotted entering the Lowry Hotel - United’s pre-match base - along with Romelu Lukaku in Salford this afternoon. Martial, who left United's tour to attend the birth of his second child, was also present after returning to training late. United boss Jose Mourinho said in his pre-match press conference on Thursday a number of his squad were playing catch-up following their post-World Cup breaks. "They [Pogba, Ashley Young and Marouane Fellaini] return on Monday, train Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and today," he said. "So you can imagine that they are not really fit and ready but we have needs." Andreas Pereira could start after impressing in midfield on the pre-season tour, while fellow Brazilian Fred is in contention for his competitive debut. Meanwhile, 18-year-old goalkeeper Matej Kovar was also spotted with Sergio Romero not yet recovered from the injury that kept him out of the World Cup with Argentina. While not caught by photographers, Luke Shaw is understood to be in the squad for the game against Claude Puel’s side. Jesse Lingard and Matteo Darmian were not spotted with the United party, despite not being named on Mourinho's injury list. The Portuguese confirmed yesterday that he would be without Diogo Dalot, Romero, Marcos Rojo, Nemanja Matic, Antonio Valencia and Ander Herrera who are all injured. "Romero, he had a surgery after his injury before the World Cup," Mourinho said. "Valencia, he was injured in pre-season, Marcos Rojo, he was injured in the World Cup. Dalot had a surgery in Porto by the end of April and not yet ready. "Ander Herrera injured against Bayern. Matic injured in the World Cup and surgery in Philadelphia a couple of weeks ago. And I think that's it. Confirmed Manchester United squadmembers Goalkeepers: David de Gea, Lee Grant, Matej Kovar. Defenders: Eric Bailly, Chris Smalling, Victor Lindelof, Phil Jones, Ashley Young, Luke Shaw. Midfielders: Scott McTominay, Paul Pogba, Juan Mata, Fred, Andreas Pereira, Marouane Fellaini. Forwards: Marcus Rashford, Romelu Lukaku, Alexis Sanchez, Anthony Martial.