Five Big Questions For Your Club: Are Man United's youngsters REALLY ready? Can the Red Devils' key players keep fit? And how does Erik ten Hag solve a problem like Casemiro?

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The Premier League's return is just one day away and it's fair to say that excitement amongst supporters couldn't be any higher.

Manchester United and Fulham will kick-start the 2024-25 campaign on Friday night, as the Red Devils play host to Marco Silva 's side for the curtain raiser.

After a summer of spending - with the likes of Leny Yoro, Matthijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui all being brought in - expectations are high on Erik ten Hag's side. 

However, there are still a few question marks that remain over their squad - such as the role some youngsters may play and where a veteran like Casemiro fits in.

Here, Mail Sport's NATHAN SALT provides all the answers. 

Manchester United and Fulham will kick-start the 2024-25 campaign on Friday evening

Expectations are high for Erik ten Hag's side after a heavy summer of spending at Old Trafford

CAN KEY PLAYERS STAY FIT?

Luke Shaw will miss the curtain-raiser against Fulham after suffering an injury setback

If Erik ten Hag had any hair left he’d have likely ripped it all out last season when the exasperated Dutchman was left overseeing over an injury crisis that was north of 60 separate incidents.

He was without No 1 centre back Lisandro Martinez for long spells of the season; Luke Shaw lasted 45 minutes against Luton Town in February and never played the rest of the campaign; Rasmus Hojlund had three spells out the side, too.

The season hasn’t yet started and already £59million summer signing Leny Yoro has been ruled out for three months with a foot problem, while Hojlund is set for six weeks on the sidelines.

United have started to overhaul their medical personnel, as revealed by Mail Sport, but it remains to be seen if the Red Devils can turn a corner, or be left to curse deja vu in the physio room.

HOW DO YOU SOLVE A PROBLEM LIKE CASEMIRO?

This is a real area of concern for Ten Hag and United. Casemiro looked far too easy to play against for large spells of last season, while he was embarrassed in the pre-season friendly defeat to Liverpool recently when he was turned inside out on the edge of the box before they scored.

No 6 is an area of the pitch United desperately want to upgrade but as yet they have not acted on their interest in Paris Saint-Germain’s Manuel Ugarte due to a difference in opinion on fee.

Casemiro played no part in the FA Cup triumph against Manchester City and there is increasing sentiment that Kobbie Mainoo needs a more dependable - and mobile - partner alongside him in Ten Hag’s 4-2-3-1 system.

It’s an area that United can ill-afford not to address before the window closes as Casemiro’s effectiveness continues to wane.

Casemiro, once viewed as one of the best midfielders in the world, has become a problem

Man United have shown interest in Paris Saint-Germain’s No 6 Manuel Ugarte this summer

WHO ARE THE GO-TO WINGERS?

This is a more encouraging dilemma for Ten Hag and his coaches, but consistency is important and it is also a lot of egos to try and balance.

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Last season Alejandro Garnacho made 50 appearances for United, Marcus Rashford made 43, Antony made 38 appearances, Facundo Pellistri made 14 before leaving on loan, and Amad Diallo made 12 appearances.

Add into that that Jadon Sancho has returned from his loan at Borussia Dortmund and amazingly squashed his beef with Ten Hag, United are not short of options, especially given summer buy Joshua Zirkzee is also comfortable operating in a wide role.

Rashford, Garnacho and Sancho all prefer operating from the left side, while £86m man Antony, who had a nightmare first season in Manchester, is eager to start afresh in competition with Diallo, who has been the star of United’s pre-season, down the right.

Given Rashford, Garnacho, Antony, Pellistri and Diallo combined for just 16 Premier League goals last year, Ten Hag desperately needs to discover his reliables in the two wide roles to kick this team forward.

Despite playing his best football as a central striker, new man Joshua Zirkzee can operate wide

Alejandro Garnacho came off the bench to score United's opener in the Community Shield

DOES MASON MOUNT FIT IN THIS TEAM?

After arriving last summer as Ten Hag’s No 1 midfield target, Mount was largely a non-factor in a below-par campaign as a whole for United.

He played deeper in a No 6 role and didn’t look comfortable and was then shoved out wide as he couldn’t displace No 10 and club captain Bruno Fernandes in his preferred advanced position.

Injuries didn’t help but the Mount move looked increasingly head-scratching - despite Ten Hag insisting to Mail Sport at the end of last season that the Englishman would come good.

Mount was one of the positives of the pre-season tour and was the key to the high press that Ten Hag and assistant Ruud van Nistelrooy were calling for.

There are still several questions marks over where Mason Mount fits in at Manchester United

Kobbie Mainoo will be eager to kick on this season after a sensational campaign in 2023-24

The issue for Mount is that he won’t displace Fernandes at No 10 and never truly looks comfortable in a screening role in front of the back four.

The big question is, can Ten Hag find a role for Mount and make him a key piece of the puzzle? The jury is out when everyone is fit and available.

ARE THE YOUNGSTERS REALLY READY?

The growth of Mainoo in the first team last season was absolutely huge for Ten Hag, with the teenager exceeding all expectations and eventually forcing his way into England’s Euro 2024 squad on the back of it.

The question now is, are the next lads off the conveyor belt in Toby Collyer and Harry Amass really ready for the rigours of Premier League football?

Left back Amass has seen plenty of action in pre-season with Luke Shaw on a post-Euros break and Tyrell Malacia still sidelined through injury.

The 17-year-old has a really high ceiling but it’s a lion’s den at the best of times and being assigned some of the world’s top wingers would still represent a huge risk from the coaching staff to put Amass in there.

Fresh out of featuring in the Community Shield, Amad Diallo could get the nod on opening day

Likewise Collyer, a midfielder who looks rawer than Mainoo did but also has shown real promise over the summer.

If Ten Hag can hit at least one home run from the academy again this season, he’ll be delighting fans, the bosses and also be saving United millions in the transfer market. It just feels such a big ‘if’ when it comes to the academy’s next great hopes.