Manchester United vs Wolves LIVE! Premier League match stream, latest team news, lineups, TV, prediction today
The final game of opening week in the Premier League takes place at Old Trafford tonight. Manchester United will be confident of a strong start to their second season under Erik ten Hag and should hand competitive debuts to Andre Onana and Mason Mount this evening, though star summer signing Rasmus Hojlund will have to wait a bit longer as he nurses a back problem.
Despite some mixed pre-season results and their rivalsâ monster spending, hopes are high for Man Utd again in 2023/24 after last seasonâs Carabao Cup win and third-place finish. Thatâs in stark contrast to Wolves, who most are tipping for a difficult relegation battle this term after a difficult summer notably light on transfers that culminated in head coach Julen Lopetegui exiting just three days before the season start. Ex-Bournemouth boss Gary OâNeil was quickly parachuted in and has a big job on his hands at Molineux.
Improving his sideâs away form could be crucial to their survival hopes, while Wolves have won on only one of their last 12 top-flight visits to the Theatre of Dreams. Follow Manchester United vs Wolves updates live below!
Live updates
Anti-Glazer protests continue outside Old Trafford
The pre-match scene around Old Trafford, where protests against the Glazer family are continuing with seemingly no end to the takeover saga in sight still after some eight months.
There have also been warm welcomes for new boys Mason Mount and Andre Onana.
Ten Hag âreally happyâ with Hojlund despite Kane move
Hereâs what Erik ten Hag had to say at his pre-match press conference on Friday when asked about Manchester United getting Rasmus Hojlund instead of Harry Kane…
âWe have chosen a striker and we are really happy with our choice,â he said.
â[Kane] is a great striker, a goal maker and apart from that he has all the conditions and abilities that you want to see in a striker. Itâs a miss for the Premier League, absolutely.â
However, Ten Hag was not willing to get into comparisons over the two strikers, one an established global superstar and the other just beginning to forge his own big reputation in the game.
âI donât think that I have to go into that discussion or give an opinion about that,â Ten Hag added.
âWe are professional and the processes we do are really careful. We consider a lot of things but finally we make decisions, but not overnight.
âWe study every decision and we are happy with the squad we have behind us now.â
Ten Hag ârelaxedâ over Manchester United forward options
Presumably Manchester United will line up with Marcus Rashford through the middle tonight with no Rasmus Hojlund and Anthony Martial available not featuring at all during pre-season due to a hamstring injury.
Erik ten Hag insists he is relaxed about his forward options for the start of the season, even suggesting that Jadon Sancho could be deployed in a central attacking role if needed.
âIâm quite calm and composed in this situation because Rashy is very good as a striker,â he said. âWe have seen it last Saturday.
âAnthony Martial is available as well. Jadon Sancho can play there as well, he did it in pre-season very well.
âThe squad can deal with it as I already said this. There is a strategy behind it.â
Ten Hag: Manchester United wonât rush Hojlund recovery
Manchester United fans will be desperate for a quick look at their new ÂŁ72m striker, on whom a lot of pressure already rests after such a significant transfer outlay despite his relative lack of experience.
Erik ten Hag said this week that he was happy with the deal for Rasmus Hojlund despite initial top target Harry Kane having finally left Tottenham, but will not rush the 20-year-old Danish international – who earned favourable early comparisons to a certain Erling Haaland after a breakout season in Serie A with Atalanta last term – into action as he recovers from a minor back problem picked up with his former team in pre-season.
âNo, we are not in a rush,â Ten Hag said on Friday.
âWe know we are also without him, we have a strong team and the position is covered. We donât rush.
âIt is about him being in the right level and then we have to integrate him in training and then we will bring him into the games. âWe take our time. It is not about winning in this moment, it is about winning in the long-term.â
Manchester United vs Wolves prediction
The Red Devils have put a lot of faith in a young, unproven striker but are otherwise packed full of star power under the guidance of a manager who has a year of English football experience under his belt, while they have not lost at home since September 2022.
Meanwhile, this looks set to be a season of struggle and toil for Wolves, who are not good travellers at all and have won on only one of their last 12 league trips to Old Trafford.
Manchester United to win, 3-0.
Early Wolves team news
One slight positive for Wolves amid a general summer of worry and gloom is that they do appear to have a clean bill of health ahead of tonightâs opener.
New boss Gary OâNeil has said that Brazilian forward Matheus Cunha is fit to play after missing a couple of days of training in the build-up.
Matt Doherty is in line to make his second Wolves debut after re-joining the club in July, while the likes of Mario Lemina and Sasa Kalajdzic are also back fit.
Early Manchester United team news
Manchester United should hand competitive debuts to new signings Andre Onana and Mason Mount tonight.
However, headline summer arrival Rasmus Hojlund is not yet ready to play following a high-profile ÂŁ72million move from Atalanta as he nurses a minor back issue.
Tyrell Malacia, Amad Diallo and Kobbie Mainoo are also sidelined for United, along with goalkeepers Dean Henderson and Tom Heaton.
However, Erik ten Hag has said that Anthony Martial is fit to feature after not playing at all during pre-season due to a hamstring injury, though surely he wonât be in a position to start.
Predicted Man Utd XI: Onana; Dalot, Varane, Martinez, Shaw; Casemiro, Mount; Antony, Fernandes, Garnacho; Rashford
Where to watch Manchester United vs Wolves
TV channel: In the UK, tonightâs game will be televised live on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Premier League, with coverage of Monday Night Football beginning at 7pm BST.
Live stream: Subscribers can also catch the contest live online via the Sky Go app.
Welcome to Manchester United vs Wolves live coverage
Hello and welcome to the Evening Standardâs live coverage of Manchester United vs Wolves.
A busy first weekend of Premier League action in 2023/24 concludes with a Monday-night affair at Old Trafford, where United are unbeaten for almost a full year under Erik ten Hag.
They will be very confident of making a strong start to another top-flight campaign this evening against a Wolves side who endured a hugely difficult summer, struggling to make signings before seeing head coach Julen Lopetegui depart just three days before the action got underway.
Swift replacement Gary OâNeil did sterling work at Bournemouth last term and was incredibly unlucky to lose his job, but has a lot of work on his hands at Molineux if he is to avoid this team from becoming embroiled in a bitter relegation scrap this term.
Kick-off at the Theatre of Dreams is at 8pm BST, so stay tuned for all the match build-up, latest team news, lineups, pre-game thoughts from both bosses and minute-by-minute updates throughout the night.
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