United stars have plenty to prove with pre-season schedule set to commence

Manchester United will step up their preseason preparations when they face Leeds United in their opening friendly of the summer at the Friends Arena in Stockholm next Saturday.

- By GEORGE SMITH

The clash with Daniel Farke's men, who won promotion back to the Premier League last season, will almost certainly mark Matheus Cunha’s debut in a United shirt.

The Brazilian arrived from Wolves for £62.5 million last month and will be keen to enjoy a strong preseason campaign ahead of the competitive action commencing in mid-August.

Cunha was a top target for United head coach Ruben Amorim, meaning he is poised to become a staple in his first-choice starting XI this season.

Well-versed in a 3-4-2-1 formation from his time at Molineux, Cunha is expected to occupy the left-sided No.10 position in Amorim's system.

He regularly operated in that role at Wolves, meaning he should be able to settle into the groove at Old Trafford relatively comfortably.

Amid the expectation that Cunha will cement himself as United's left-sided playmaker, captain Bruno Fernandes is expected to operate in central midfield permanently this season.

The Portuguese international often played as one of the two No.8s in the second half of last term and regularly looked more dangerous.

He enjoyed a real purple patch after initially being tasked with operating deeper, providing both goals and assists.