Hull City will return to the Premier League after nine years, hosting Manchester United at the MKM Stadium on Saturday, 22 August 2026. The match will kick off at 12:30 BST, with Darren England appointed referee and Michael Salisbury as VAR.

Hull City, led by Sergej Jakirović, are without seven first-team players: Jack Butland, Eliot Matazo, Darko Gyabi, Oscar Zambrano, Charlie Hughes, Joe Gelhardt and Hidemasa Morita. Cody Drameh and Matty Jacob are undergoing late fitness tests. Record signing Nobel Mendy is expected to make his debut in central defence, with Konstantinos Tzolakis, Jens Hjertø-Dahl and Elliot Stroud also likely to feature for the first time. Forward Oli McBurnie, who scored 19 times in all competitions last season, will lead the line.

Manchester United, managed by Michael Carrick in his first full permanent season, are missing Matthijs de Ligt, Manuel Ugarte and Tom Heaton. Ugarte is expected to miss much of the season through injury. Mason Mount faces a late fitness test after a foot injury sustained against PSG in pre-season, while Benjamin Seško remains touch-and-go following a return from a shin problem. The club will introduce new midfielders Youri Tielemans and Andrey Santos, both set to make their United debuts. Lisandro Martínez and Kobbie Mainoo are likely to come on from the bench after returning late from international duty with limited match fitness.

Hull City’s promotion came after a play-off semi-final win over Millwall and a stoppage-time winner against Middlesbrough at Wembley. The Tigers were a transfer embargo side last summer and have refreshed their squad with eleven new signings, addressing a defence that conceded 66 goals in the Championship last season. Manchester United finished third last season and were the division’s form team after the turn of the year, taking more points in the second half of the campaign than any other club. Their pre-season saw wins over Rosenborg, Atlético Madrid and Leeds United, a draw with PSG and a 4-2 defeat to AC Milan.

Predicted lineups: Hull City (4-2-3-1): Tzolakis; Coyle, Ajayi, Mendy, Targett; Slater, Crooks; Belloumi, Hjertø-Dahl, Stroud; McBurnie. Manchester United (4-2-3-1): Lammens; Dalot, Maguire, Heaven, Shaw; Tielemans, Santos; Diallo, Fernandes, Cunha; Mbeumo.

How to watch: The match will be broadcast live in the United Kingdom on TNT Sports 1, TNT Sports Ultimate and HBO Max.