MAN U VS TOTTENHAM

SAT AT OLD TRAFFORD

MANCHESTER UNITED (4-3-3) DE GEA, DARMIAN, SMALLING, BLIND, SHAW, SCHNEIDERLIN, CARRICK, DEPAY, MATA, ROONEY, YOUNG

TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR (4-2-3-1) KANE, CHADLI, ERIKSEN, LAMELA, MASON, BENTALEB, ROSE, VERTONGHAN, WIMMER, DIER, LLORIS

This is first game of the Barclays Premier League season; the Old Trafford game kicks off at 12:45BST to begin the exciting PL marathon.

It is also a huge season for both clubs with Manchester United hoping to improve on fourth place last term – when they finished 17 points adrift of winners Chelsea – and Tottenham (who finished fifth and a massive 23 points behind the Blues) desperate to break back into the top four of the Barclays Premier League.

Spurs will be hopeful of improving on a record of just one defeat (and three draws) in their last six home and away league games against the Red Devils.

And United boss Louis van Gaal will not need prompting that he began his league career at Old Trafford on the opening day of last season with a shocking 2-1 reverse against Swansea City. Indeed, that was United’s first opening-day defeat since 1972.

United have been busy in the summer, signing winger Memphis Depay (PSV Eindhoven), Torino right-back Matteo Darmian, midfielders Bastian Schweinsteiger and Morgan Schneiderlin, from Bayern Munich and Southampton respectively, and Sampdoria goalkeeper Sergio Romero. Most should be involved against a Spurs side that were keen on Schneiderlin last season.