Manchester United vs Athletic Bilbao LIVE: Sancho, Maguire and Van de Beek start in Dublin as Erik ten Hag’s side play their final pre-season friendly

Manchester United take on Spanish opposition in Athletic Bilbao in their final pre-season friendly. Follow all the action with Mail Sport. 

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Rasmus Hojlund called his presentation to Manchester United fans at Old Trafford as a ‘dream’ come true after the club confirmed a deal with Atalanta worth up to £72million.

Hojlund was introduced to the crowd before Saturday’s friendly between United and Lens after signing a five-year contract with the option for another year, subject to international clearance.

United have agreed to pay £64m plus up to £8m in add-ons for the 20-year-old striker who has scored 27 goals in 87 club appearances for Atalanta, Sturm Graz and FC Copenhagen as well as six goals in six games for Denmark.

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The United starting XI has just dropped and it’s a mixture of the experienced and the youthful as we might have expected with a lot of those players not involved against Lens yesterday not travelling.

Tom Heaton gets the nod in goal, with Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof partnering one another in defence.

There’s a start in midfield for Donny van de Beek, alongside Christian Eriksen and youngster Daniel Gore.

Another academy prospect plays at left-back in Alvaro Fernandez, while Omari Forson gets the pick in attack flanked by Jadon Sancho and Facundo Pellistri.

A very youthful complexion on the bench, too, with the honourable exception of 35-year-old Jonny Evans!

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MIKE KEEGAN

Manchester United supporters are planning to ramp up their protests against the Glazer family – and are planning an hour-long sit-in at their match against Nottingham Forest.

With the long-running takeover saga rumbling on as the season rapidly approaches, The 1958, a group who accuse the American owners of ’18 years of ignorance and silence’, will protesting at the Holy Trinity statue outside Old Trafford before United’s opener against Wolves next Monday.

While there, they will raise awareness of plans for a further protest, when fans will be asked to sit-in for 60 minutes following United’s match with Forest on August 26 – should the situation remain unresolved.

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United beat Lens comfortably in the end yesterday but the headlines were stolen by a rather unfortunate gaffe by new goalkeeper Andre Onana.

Fans expected the Cameroonian sweeper-keeper style to maybe cause the odd different in communication – but not many expected him to be lobbed from 50 yards.

However, Marcus Rashford, Antony and Casemiro scored second-half goals to bail him out.

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Manchester United have been here, there and everywhere during this pre-season as they get ready for a season which promises a great deal.

Oslo, Edinburgh and then four stops on a tour of the United States as Erik ten Hag’s players prepare for what they hope will be a successful campaign.

United beat French club RC Lens 3-1 at Old Trafford yesterday and now they take on Spanish opposition in the form of Athletic Bilbao at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin.

Can they go into the new season on a winning note? Welcome along to our live coverage.

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