The pre-season friendlies continue this weekend, with at least nine matches taking place involving the Premier League clubs.
There may be others, too, as some sides keep details of their warm-up matches – typically of the behind-closed-doors variety – quiet.
We saw this last weekend with Brighton and Hove Albion, Burnley and Newcastle United.
Here are all the declared friendlies so far:
| Match | Date | Kick-off time (BST) |
|---|---|---|
| Burnley v Wolverhampton Wanderers | Saturday 19 July | n/a |
| Bournemouth v Bristol City | Saturday 19 July | 1pm |
| Leeds United v Manchester United | Saturday 19 July | 2pm |
| Grasshoppers v West Ham United | Saturday 19 July | 2pm |
| Celtic v Newcastle United | Saturday 19 July | 3pm |
| Reading v Tottenham Hotspur | Saturday 19 July | 3pm |
| Blackburn Rovers v Everton | Saturday 19 July | 3pm |
| Hansa Rostock v Aston Villa | Saturday 19 July | 3pm |
| Sevilla v Sunderland | Saturday 19 July | 8pm |
Times come from each club’s official website
WHAT TO WATCH OUT FOR
Matheus Cunha could make his Manchester United bow today as the Red Devils meet their old rivals, Leeds United, in Stockholm.
How much he eats into Bruno Fernandes‘ set-piece duties will be something worth monitoring as pre-season goes on.
Talking of Sweden, there’s a good chance we’ll see Anthony Elanga making his Newcastle United debut alongside compatriot Alexander Isak. The Magpies are in Glasgow to meet Celtic.
Today is the first match that Thomas Frank takes charge of Tottenham Hotspur, too.
The former Brentford boss held his first presser as Spurs boss on Thursday, and urged his team to attack – not that they were used to doing anything different under his predecessor.
“Yeah, I’m very, very clear in all the principles I have in, I can say, every phase of the game. What I will like to see from the team and the players is I want us to be brave. I want us to be very aggressive, and I want to attack. I think brave is absolutely linked in ‘to dare is to do’. If you’re not brave, it’s very, very difficult to achieve anything.” – Thomas Frank
Mohammed Kudus could make his Lilywhites debut: will he be on the right, on the left or in the middle?
James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski remain out for Spurs but the former is at least partly back in training.
Kudus’s old club, West Ham United, begin their pre-season campaign in Switzerland.
Aston Villa, Bournemouth, Everton and Sunderland each contest their second friendlies, meanwhile.
They’re all likely to have stronger squads this week, with each club’s internationals belatedly back in training following extended breaks.
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