As opening nights go, Fulham’s start to the new Premier League is full of intrigue. Marco Silva’s will hope to emulate last season’s success at Old Trafford, but a win won’t be quite as shocking this time around as Manchester United quite clearly aren’t the force they once were. Erik ten Hag’s blunt admission that the Red Devils aren’t ready for the start of the new campaign hints at the scale of the task still in front of the Dutch coach – and Fulham will fancy their chances of posing problems for a shaky United defence, especially on the counter-attack.

Fulham have had a bit of a summer shake-up, too, losing the experience of Tim Ream and the poise of Tosin Adarabioyo in central defence as well as the brilliance of Joao Palhinha from their engine room. Silva was open this week about seeking a right-sided centre back to replace Adarabioyo and there remains a Portuguese-shaped hole in the Whites’ midfield, even if we have to acknowledge that it will be almost impossible to bring in a pound-for-pound Palhinha alternative. Those departures could hurt Fulham in the long term, especially when you consider how crucial the former Sporting Lisbon midfielder was to two excellent seasons on their return to the top flight, and how long it took the team to adapt after the sale of Aleskandar Mitrovic last summer.

But the Palhinha saga didn’t last as long as Mitrovic’s great sulk and the vibes both during the pre-season tour of Portugal and last weekend’s friendly at Hoffenheim have been immaculate. Emile Smith Rowe, a shrewd signing from Arsenal, has really hit the ground running and the last few fixtures have hinted at an adventurous evolution in Silva’s game plan. Andreas Pereira has featured in a deeper role than he has fulfilled in his two seasons at Craven Cottage, allowing Smith Rowe to roam from a number ten role and recreate his Hale End understanding with another ex-Arsenal academy graduate in Alex Iwobi. With Adama Traore showing promising signs on the right wing, the Fulham head coach could be very bold in his selection at the Theatre of Dreams tonight.

Club captain Tom Cairney, likely to start on the bench this evening, had the balance right when he spoke of respecting United but not fearing them. The aura of the Ferguson era has largely diminished, especially after Iwobi’s brilliant winner last term delivered Fulham’s first winner in the red half of Manchester for twenty years. Silva’s success in SW6 has been built on the back of a belief that his side should put their best foot forward so it is entirely likely that only one of last term’s central midfield heroes – Sasa Lukic and Harrison Reed – starts this time around. Lukic has looked sharp since returning from Euro 2024 and could be the biggest beneficiary from Palhinha’s Bayern Munich move.

At their best, United can still look irresistible – like they when they beat Liverpool and Manchester City in the FA Cup last season – but ten Hag’s best intentions have been undermined by a cruel combination of a lack of consistency and injury crises. Luke Shaw, who went to Germany only to feature in the final before getting injured again, leaves the United boss with the headache of who to pick at left back as Tyrell Malacia recovers from knee surgery. There’s no doubt that a remoulding of the back line is required but Leny Yoro will miss three months of his action whilst new signings Matthijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui might need some bedding in having only arrived yesterday.

There will be changes up top too, with Rasmus Hojlund ruled out with a hamstring strain, and summer signing Joshua Zirkee pushing for his United debut having been on the bench during the Community Shield last weekend. United possess plenty of talent going forward, even allowing for the current injuries, with the likes of Marcus Rashford, skipper Bruno Fernandes and an eager Alejandro Garnacho able to pick holes in any of the division’s defences. The Whites will need to be disciplined in defence and take their chances to come away with anything at all.

MY FULHAM XI: Leno; Castagne, A. Robinson, Diop, Bassey; Lukic, Pereira; Traore, Iwobi, Smith Rowe, Muniz. Subs: Benda, Tete, Sessegnon, Cuenca, Reed, Cairney, Wilson, Stansfield, Jimenez.