- Manchester United says Marcus Rashford is in good shape ahead of the derby final
- Man City will be without four key players for their Community Shield match against Man United
- Predicted starting lineups for the Community Shield
Wembley Stadium will once again host its traditional curtain-raiser, the Community Shield match, signalling the return of English football today, August 10. The anticipation for the Premier League is building and fans are already excited.
The 117th FA Community Shield features a rematch of May’s FA Cup final, pitting Manchester City against Manchester United in a Manchester derby with significant implications.
However, there’s an interesting trend to note: the last five winners of the Community Shield have not gone on to secure the Premier League title that same year. Only one team out of the last 13 winners, Manchester City in the 2018/19 season, has managed to win both the Community Shield and the Premier League.
Historically, only eight out of 32 teams have achieved this double since the Premier League's inception.
Rashford is in good shape - Erik Ten Hag discloses
The United striker had a lacklustre campaign last season, finishing with seven goals in the Premier League and being left out of the England squad for the Euros.
Ten Hag seems to have been impressed by Rashford's condition and commitment during the pre-season. The 26-year-old is aiming to return to the form that earned him 30 goals in the 2022/23 campaign.
“On the tour, it's clear he's very active, already in great shape, and we expect a lot from him, as we do from the entire team this season,” Ten Hag commented.
He brushed aside any notion of a dispute with the player, adding, “There are plenty of rumours circulating about Manchester United and this team. We understand the truth. He's putting in a lot of effort and is highly ambitious and motivated to have an excellent season.”
Ten Hag will be hoping to secure back-to-back victories over Manchester City at Wembley as he leads United into the Community Shield, three months after their FA Cup victory over their rivals at the national stadium.
Man City will be without four key players for Community Shield
The four key players played a role in the Euro 2024 final between England and Spain, with Rodri enjoying victory while Foden, Walker, and Stones had to finish as runner-ups.
During a press conference on Friday, ahead of the Saturday match against Manchester United at Wembley, Guardiola stated:
“We aim to provide the best possible rest for the players. While we would prefer more time, we have already given them a significant amount.”
“The England players and Rodri will return next week. We need to focus on what we can control and not worry about the schedule. The immediate focus is on training sessions, taking things one step at a time.”
“Our goal is to be strategic with training and ensure the players stay mentally fresh. We’ll rotate the squad as much as needed and assess the situation game by game,” the Man City coach added.
Predicted starting lineups for 2024 Community Shield
Ten Hag, despite facing doubts last season, could still win a third trophy. City is also certainly aware that the Community Shield is not a reliable indicator of future performance.
In the past decade, only once has the Community Shield winner gone on to win the Premier League, with that achievement belonging to Guardiola's City in 2018.
Below is TheRadar’s prediction for the derby final lineups:
MANCHESTER CITY (4-3-3): Ortega; Lewis, Dias, Akanji, Gvardiol; De Bruyne, Kovacic, McAtee; Bobb, Grealish; Haaland.
MANCHESTER UNITED (4-2-3-1): Onana; Dalot, Maguire, Martinez, Amass; Eriksen, Casemiro; Amad, Mount, Sancho; Zirkzee.
“Is Walker there for comic relief?” Netizens react to UEFA’s EURO 2024 team of the tournament
Previously, TheRadar reported that Walker’s inclusion as right back in the TOT has in every way sparked a heat of reaction across social platforms. Although this is very common in the world of football, the Manchester City defender's choice in that team by UEFA does not seem like a welcomed decision even across opposing fanbases. Some fans argued that Walker was only there to appease England for their loss on Sunday night. Kyle Walker is the only England Player on the UEFA EURO 2024 Team of the Tournament.
