Manchester United players Zlatan Ibrahimović (#9) and Wayne Rooney during training. (Photo : Getty Images)
The 2016-2017 Premier League season is just around the corner and signaling its arrival is the annual FA Community Shield match set on Sunday, August 7 at the Wembley Stadium in London. This year's high-profile clash will be between newly-crowned English top flight champions Leicester City and reigning FA Cup winner Manchester United.
The match is highly-interesting as it again features Portuguese boss Jose Mourinho, who will be at United's side this time as he was appointed Red Devils head coach last May. Mourinho coached Premier League champions Chelsea last summer in this same competition before he was sacked by the club in December after a tumultuous first half of the season.
Manchester United is coming off a 0-0 draw with Everton during Wayne Rooney's testimonial at the Old Trafford on Wednesday, as per ESPN. While the game was done mainly for charity, it also marks the Special One's debut as United head coach at the club's home stadium.
The club showcased new signings Zlatan Ibrahimović, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, and Eric Bailly during the match, but the most impressive player in the game was young striker Marcus Rashford, who substituted for Rooney at the 53rd.
Meanwhile, Leicester City, the team who took over from the Blues as English champs, will be out to prove that their title reign is no fluke even as they face a much-improved United XI. Head coach Claudio Ranieri also lost some key players during the summer transfer window, such as star midfielder N'Golo Kante to, ironically, Chelsea and striker Andrej Kramaric to Bundesliga club Hoffenheim.
The Foxes finished their 2016 International Champions Cup campaign testing their strength against the world's best team, FC Barcelona, and dropping a 2-4 game at the Friends Arena in Solna, Sweden, via BBC Sport.
Main striker Jamie Vardy was still unavailable that time as he is on an extended vacation after competing in the 2016 Euros last month. However, Nigerian striker Ahmed Musa showed some promise as he netted a brace against Lionel Messi and company.
Musa is not expected to be featured in Leicester's starting XI, but will definitely be given a chance by Ranieri perhaps as a substitute in the second half.
The predicted result is a tough 2-1 decision for Manchester United.
Leicester City starting lineup (4-4-2 formation): Schmeichel; Simpson, Huth, Morgan, Fuchs; Albrighton, Drinkwater, King, Mahrez; Ulloa, Vardy
Manchester United starting lineup (4-2-3-1 formation): De Gea; Shaw, Bailly, Smalling, Darmian; Carrick, Schneiderlin; Martial, Rooney, Mkhitaryan; Ibrahimović
