The 2024/25 campaign officially kicks off among English top-flight teams with the Community Shield at Wembley – and it’s the same two teams meeting as were on that pitch at the end of May for the FA Cup final.
Manchester United triumphed in that game, quite possibly salvaging Erik ten Hag’s job in the process, and they’ll once more face a derby encounter with a trophy as the prize, against reigning Premier League champions Manchester City.
Silverware might be on the line but this is essentially a glorified friendly, baring little relevance to the season ahead – yet it will be an important part of both teams’ preparations regardless, as league action is just one week away. United in particular are struggling with injuries at the start of the season, while Man City haven’t had all their Euro 2024 and Copa America stars back for long, so additional practice time on the pitch is of the essence.
Follow the Community Shield below with all the build-up and match action as Man City face Man United:
Manchester United reveal possible date for Leny Yoro Premier League debut
The French centre-back will start his rehabilitation after his operation and United expect him to be fit again in about three months.
Chris Wilson10 August 2024 11:25
Prediction
Both sides have enjoyed a mixed preseason, and while we may not see a full-strength line-up from either team, City’s squad depth – added to United’s injuries, lack of signings and generally lower squad quality – should see a fairly straightforward win for Pep Guardiola’s side.
Manchester United 1-2 Manchester City.
Chris Wilson10 August 2024 11:10
Predicted line-ups
Man Utd XI: Onana; Dalot, Evans, Martinez, Amass; Casemiro, McTominay; Diallo, Fernandes, Rashford; Zirkzee.
Man City XI: Ederson; Lewis, Phillips, Gvardiol, Wilson-Esbrand; Perrone, Kovacic; Bobb, McAtee, Grealish; Haaland.
Chris Wilson10 August 2024 11:00
Early team news
For City, several players haven’t played a part in their preseason tour, though some could be expected to return for the first game of the season.
Kyle Walker, John Stones, Phil Foden and Rodri all missed the friendlies, with Guardiola later confirming that they would not be returning to the club until next week.
Erling Haaland will likely start after his preseason hat-trick against Chelsea, while Rico Lewis, Oscar Bobb and Jack Grealish should all feature after impressing in the USA.
It is yet unknown whether players such as Nathan Ake and Manuel Akanji will be called upon by the Spaniard, so we may see a surprising line-up from the Cityzens.
Chris Wilson10 August 2024 10:50
Early team news
Manchester United will be without new signing Leny Yoro after the Frenchman underwent successful surgery on his foot earlier this week. He’ll be out for around three months, a little longer than Rasmus Hojlund, who will also miss the Community Shield with an injury.
Jonny Evans and Victor Lindelof are also doubts, as are Harry Maguire, Luke Shaw and Aaron Wan-Bissaka, who has been linked with a move away for most of the summer.
“It’s about a trophy, so we will put out a team that is very competitive to win this trophy,” said Ten Hag when speaking about the match.
Chris Wilson10 August 2024 10:35
Is Man United vs Man City on TV? Kick-off time, channel and how to watch Community Shield fixture
Man City v Man United will kick off at 3pm BST on Saturday, 10 August at Wembley Stadium in London.
The match will be shown live on ITV 1, with coverage starting at 2.15pm. Subscribers can also stream the match via the ITVX App.
If you’re travelling abroad and want to watch major sporting events, you might need a VPN to unblock your streaming app. Our vpn round-up is here to help and includes deals on VPNs in the market. Viewers using a VPN need to make sure that they comply with any local regulations where they are, and also with the terms of their service provider.
Chris Wilson10 August 2024 10:25
Man United vs Man City preview
Since May, United have signed the promising pair of Joshua Zirkzee and Leny Yoro, though their preseason tour of the US was missing several of their key players and they duly lost to both Arsenal and Liverpool. Withsome early injuries affecting the team, it’ll be interesting to see how they get on after a few seasons with slow starts in the ten Hag era.
The Community Shield result rarely tells fans a lot about the upcoming season, but there’s more at stake than usual in the derby and Pep Guardiola will want to lay down a marker as he looks for an unprecedented fifth title in a row in what could be his last season in charge.
Chris Wilson10 August 2024 10:10
Man City v Man United – latest updates
Good morning and welcome to The Independent’s live coverage of today’s Community Shield match.
The traditional curtain-raiser for the Premier League season promises to throw up an interesting Manchester derby, but with many of the most important players missing from both sides, who knows what kind of match we’ll see as both teams line up for an early rematch of last season’s FA Cup final.
Chris Wilson10 August 2024 10:00