Hojlund left out of Man Utd opener with Arsenal

Rasmus Hojlund has been left out of the Manchester United squad for Sunday’s Premier League game with Arsenal at Old Trafford.

It is understood coach Ruben Amorim took the decision amid intense speculation over the 22-year-old’s future.

While the Denmark striker has previously expressed a strong desire to remain at United, the arrival of Benjamin Sesko from RB Leipzig for £73.7m means his opportunities are likely to be severely restricted.

Amorim left him on the bench for the final pre-season friendly against Fiorentina on 9 August, even though Sesko’s only involvement was to be paraded before kick-off as Mason Mount occupied a false nine slot.

Mount will again start in that role, with Sesko and fellow striker Joshua Zirkzee on the bench against the Gunners.

Hojlund, who joined for £72m two years ago, was United’s main striker last season and scored 10 goals in 52 games.

His debut campaign brought 16 goals after his move from Italian side Atalanta.

The move to drop Hojlund has been backed by United’s leadership.

Amorim has spent £200m on a completely revamped forward line, with Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha set to fill the two number 10 slots Amorim prefers.

In addition to Mount, England international Kobbie Mainoo could also play as a false nine – while Bruno Fernandes did the job successfully in the 2024 FA Cup final.

On United’s pre-season tour of the United States, Cunha filled the number nine role – although he also tended to drop deeper.