3 players who should start for Arsenal vs Man Utd in friendly

Arsenal clash with Manchester United for the first time on American soil on Saturday night.

The Gunners face their domestic rivals in the second leg of their pre-season tour after thumping the MLS All-Stars 5-0 on Thursday night. After a mixed showing against FC Nurnberg, Mikel Arteta’s side were superb in their opening fixture on the East Coast before they fly across the country to face Barcelona in Los Angeles.

While United seem further behind in their summer preparations, this will undoubtedly be a stiffer test for Arsenal.

The boss has handed minutes to a whole host of players during the first two pre-season fixtures, but we might see less rotation moving forward as Arteta attempts to get his new arrivals further up to speed ahead of the 2023/24 Premier League season.

3 players who should start for Arsenal vs Man Utd in friendly

The vast majority of the travelling squad will be expected to play some part against the Red Devils, but here are three players who should start on Saturday night and earn significant minutes.

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1. Jurrien Timber

Much of the attention this summer has been on Declan Rice, but Timber’s acquisition should excite many.

“He’s a really versatile player,” the boss said after Thursday’s friendly. “He gives you the capacity to invert and occupy different spaces. He’s got that passion in the duels which I really like. I think he’s going to be a really important player for us.”

The Dutchman has his work cut out if he’s to develop into a starter right away, but Arteta’s distinct admiration for Timber’s skill set means he could quickly emerge as a protagonist in north London. The defender’s debut on Thursday was hugely promising, with his role essentially mirroring what Oleksandr Zinchenko performs to an incredibly high standard on the left.

Timber’s a class act, and he should be ready for significant minutes against United on Saturday night. Against superior opposition who’ll seek to win possession high up the pitch, it’ll be interesting to see how the 22-year-old fares in his multi-faceted function.

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