Erik ten Hag lines up new signings De Ligt and Mazraoui for season opener

Manchester United have a number of players unavailable as they face Fulham on Friday

Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag during the Community Shield match at Wembley. PA

Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag confirmed new signings Matthijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui will go straight into the squad for Friday's Premier League opener against Fulham.

Bayern Munich duo De Ligt and Mazraoui are reported to have arrived at Old Trafford for a combined £60 million.

Both players join up once again with United manager Ten Hag, having played under him at Dutch side Ajax.

De Ligt has already won league titles in three different countries with Ajax (Netherlands), Juventus (Italy) and Bayern (Germany). He bolsters United's central defence following the departure of Raphael Varane, with fellow summer transfer window arrival Leny Yoro in danger of being sidelined for up to three months with a foot injury sustained in pre-season.

Mazraoui, 26, won three league titles with Amsterdam giants Ajax and another with Bayern. The full-back has made 28 appearances for Morocco and reached the semi-finals of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

Ten Hag confirmed both players will be involved against Fulham as United start the campaign with some absentees.

"Issues are there but it's not about the players who are not available," the Dutchman said. "It's also what I said always last season.

"It's about the players who are available and we have a good group, we can make a strong selection, we can put out a strong team so we will do."

Asked if De Ligt and Mazraoui were ready to start, he said: "They will be in the squad. Harry Maguire will be in the squad as well."

Rasmus Hojlund and Yoro are out with injuries sustained on the summer tour of the United States, while left-backs Luke Shaw and Tyrell Malacia are unavailable just as they were at the end of last season.

The latter is recovering from a knee issue that kept him out of the entirety of the 2023/24 campaign, while Shaw is sidelined until after September's international break with a calf complaint.

"I think he will return in the short term," Ten Hag said of the England international. "It doesn't take long.

"We are looking forward, of course, to Luke Shaw (returning). A very important player for our team.

"He is massively important so we want to get him back as soon as possible but we can't force this process."

De Ligt said his long playing partnership with Mazraoui will be a big boost to United's back line, an area that was decimated last season by injuries.

"What can I tell you about Nous? He is an amazing guy, an amazing player," De Ligt said in an interview with the team's in-house media.

"I've known him already for a long time, I think around 10 years now. There's a reason we always come together, like before in Ajax, then at Bayern Munich, now at Manchester United," the Dutch defender added.

Meanwhile, there was good news for United fans as captain Bruno Fernandes signed a new contract that will keep him at the club until June 2027, with the option to extend for another year.

Portugal midfielder Fernandes, who joined United in 2020 and has scored 79 goals and provided 67 assists in 234 appearances for the club, had signed a previous contract in 2022 which ran until 2026.

"Everybody knows the passion I have for Manchester United," the 29-year-old said in a statement.

"I understand the responsibility and significance of wearing this shirt, and the levels of dedication and desire required to represent this incredible club.

"I wouldn’t have signed this contract if I didn’t believe that my best moments in a United shirt are still to come."