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Manchester United will launch their 2026-27 Premier League campaign against Hull City on August 22. The Red Devils have played five friendlies this summer and will bring their pre-season preparations to a close against AC Milan tomorrow. We believe manager Michael Carrick already has eight of his 11 starters virtually locked in for the crucial Premier League curtain-raiser. The goalkeeping department has undergone plenty of change, with Andrey Onana and Altay Bayindir leaving on loan and Radek Vitek completing a permanent move to Middlesbrough. Those departures are unlikely to affect Senne Lammens, who remains the clear favourite to start between the posts. The right-back position is still a fascinating battle between Diogo Dalot and Noussair Mazraoui but we expect the Portuguese to be in the starting XI. Harry Maguire looks certain to marshal the defence, but it is still unclear who will partner him. The United manager must choose between Leny Yoro and Ayden Heaven, with Lisandro Martinez yet to feature this summer. Luke Shaw appears destined to retain his place at left-back after an extraordinary run of availability throughout the 2025-26 campaign. Andrey Santos looks like the obvious choice to anchor the midfield, but the identity of his partner is far less certain. Kobbie Mainoo has been included in the squad for the first time this summer ahead of the AC Milan friendly, while Mason Mount’s recent knock has clouded his availability. Youri Tielemans and Tyler Fletcher could emerge as alternative options for Carrick in the number eight role. The left-wing position is completely up for grabs, with Carrick facing a fascinating choice between Matheus Cunha, Marcus Rashford and Patrick Dorgu. Bruno Fernandes remains the undisputed starter at number 10. Amad Diallo has looked increasingly lively over the last two games and will be eager to carry that momentum against Hull City on the right wing. The centre-forward position could have presented Carrick with another major headache, particularly with Benjamin Sesko still recovering, but Bryan Mbeumo’s impressive form has seemingly solved that problem for now. In reality, Carrick appears to have major decisions to make in just three positions – left-sided centre-back, number eight and left wing. Anything less than three points would represent a shocking start to the new season for the Red Devils. Stats from Transfermarkt.com