Manchester United begin their 2026-27 Premier League campaign with a trip to newly-promoted Hull City on Saturday afternoon.

Michael Carrick’s side finished third last season and return to Champions League football this term, while Hull are preparing for their first Premier League fixture in almost a decade after earning promotion through the Championship playoffs.

Hull City

Hull’s return to the Premier League completes a long journey back to the top flight, having not competed at this level since 2016-17 and spending time in League One during the intervening years.

Sergej Jakirovic guided the Tigers through the Championship playoffs last season, but the scale of the challenge awaiting them has prompted a major summer overhaul.

Eleven new players have arrived, with Nobel Mendy from Rayo Vallecano the most significant addition, while several members of last season’s squad have moved on.

Pre-season produced a reasonable return of two wins, two draws and one defeat from five matches, concluding with a goalless draw against Nice. However, Hull’s preparations for their opener have been complicated by a substantial injury list.

Eliot Matazo, Darko Gyabi, Jack Butland, Oscar Zambrano, Charlie Hughes, Joe Gelhardt and Hidemasa Morita are all unavailable, while Cody Drameh and Matty Jacob face late fitness tests.

Hull’s historical record against United also underlines the size of Saturday’s task. The Tigers have won only three of the previous 18 meetings between the clubs in all competitions, although their most recent Premier League encounter ended goalless in February 2017.

Manchester United

Manchester United made significant progress under Carrick last season, finishing third in the Premier League and securing a return to the Champions League.

Expectations will consequently increase this time around, and the club have strengthened their squad with the additions of Andrey Santos, Youri Tielemans and Karl Darlow. Carlos Baleba could soon join them, while further reinforcements remain possible before the transfer window closes.

United’s pre-season ended with a 4-2 defeat against AC Milan, but their overall preparations were encouraging. Victories over Rosenborg, Atletico Madrid and Leeds United were accompanied by a draw against European champions Paris Saint-Germain.

Tielemans and Santos are expected to make their competitive debuts on Saturday and should give Carrick additional quality in midfield.

Bryan Mbeumo could lead the attack, with Benjamin Sesko unlikely to start despite returning to training following a shin injury. The striker has not played for United since the end of last season and may initially have to settle for a place among the substitutes.

There are also issues further back. Matthijs de Ligt and Manuel Ugarte are ruled out, while Mason Mount is doubtful. Lisandro Martinez has had limited minutes during pre-season, potentially opening the door for Ayden Heaven to partner Harry Maguire in central defence.

Verdict

Opening away from home against a promoted side can be uncomfortable, particularly when the hosts have the enthusiasm of a long-awaited Premier League return behind them.

Hull have strengthened aggressively and should make this competitive, but their lengthy injury list leaves Jakirovic short of options for such a demanding opening fixture.

United possess substantially more individual quality and have enjoyed a generally positive summer despite the defeat to Milan. With Tielemans and Santos adding further strength to Carrick’s midfield, the visitors should have enough to take all three points.

Tip

Manchester United to win.