Manchester United team news vs RC Lens as Rasmus Hojlund expected to be unveiled

Rasmus Hojlund is expected to be unveiled ahead of Manchester United’s pre-season fixture against RC Lens at Old Trafford on Saturday afternoon.

The Danish forward will walk out of the tunnel at the Theatre of Dreams in a similar vein to both Casemiro and Raphael Varane, who made the walk in 2022 and 2021 respectively.

He will officially complete his initial £64 million move from Atalanta, which could rise to £72 million with add-ons.

Whilst Hojlund will be introduced to United’s home crowd, he will not have any involvement in the game against the Ligue 1 runners-up from last season.

The new signing could however make his debut against Athletic Bilbao on Sunday, with the squad for that encounter yet to leave Manchester.

In terms of availability, United have had several blows in recent weeks as the build for the upcoming Premier League season.

Tyrell Malacia was ruled out of the US tour with injury before the squad jetted out to play games against Arsenal, Wrexham, Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund. United’s 2022 FA Youth Cup winning captain Rhys Bennett also picked up an issue which kept him out of the touring squad. Both of their fitness levels at this time are unknown, although it seems unlikely either are available for the clash.

Meanwhile, during that tour, two exciting youngsters in Amad Diallo and Kobbie Mainoo picked up injuries to their knee and ankle respectively, which will keep them both out of the initial stages of the Premier League campaign.

Anthony Martial has not been available for any pre-season fixture so far, but did return to pre-season training last week. Erik ten Hag is easing the injury-prone striker’s return to the side but it could finally be the day we see him back in a United shirt.

Raphael Varane and Alejandro Garnacho were both left out of United’s last game against Borussia Dortmund, however, it was confirmed that the decision was precautionary. The pair could both be involved in either game this weekend.

With games in consecutive days ahead of the new season, it’s unlikely that United are at their full strength at Old Trafford, with it expected that both games include first-team regulars mixed with talent from the academy.