Five Manchester United players who could benefit from Premier League rule change this season

Manchester United will be aiming to make a winning start to the Erik ten Hag era and the new Premier League campaign when they welcome Brighton to Old Trafford on Sunday afternoon.

The Reds, who were beaten 4-0 by the Seagulls in their most recent meeting, put the finishing touches to their pre-season schedule on Sunday, drawing 1-1 with Rayo Vallecano, a little over 24 hours after narrowly losing 1-0 to Atletico Madrid in Norway. Combined with the 2-2 draw with Aston Villa, those results over the weekend meant that United ended their pre-season campaign on a run of three games without a win.

However, the wins over Liverpool, Melbourne Victory and Crystal Palace in their first three friendlies have given United and their fans a reason to be optimistic ahead of the big kick-off. The pre-season campaign allowed Ten Hag to implement his style and methods, while also giving him the opportunity to run the rule over as many members of his squad as possible.

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But the beginning of competitive match-action means that his opportunities to tinker will be reduced, but not as much as they would have been in previous years. That is because, under new Premier League ruling, managers will be allowed to make up to five substitutions per game this season, choosing from a pool of nine players on the bench.

It means that several clubs could significantly benefit from the rule changing, with most top-end Premier League clubs' squads littered with game-changing talent. It could also prove beneficial to several youngsters looking to leave their calling card.

With that in mind, MEN Sport has taken a close look at five United players who could