Premier League: 10 things to look out for on the opening weekend — theguardian.com

José Mourinho and Claude Puel are under more pressure than most to start the season strongly. Both have large numbers of sceptics among their club’s supporters, and doubts also persist about the popularity of their methods with players. So both managers need their teams to perform brightly as soon as the season kicks off in order to lift the mood. Preparations have been complicated by the transfer window and the delayed return of key players from the World Cup – and the fusses around Paul Pogba and Harry Maguire, in particular – so there is a lot of uncertainty about the lineups. But there could be some interesting inclusions, such as Fred in Manchester United’s midfield and James Maddison in the away team’s. The centre of each team’s defence, however, is what could determine the outcome of this match. PD • Premier League preview: Manchester United • Manchester United veto Mourinho’s transfer wishlist • Pre-season preview: Leicester City

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