Premier League champions Leicester City face FA Cup winners Manchester United on Sunday evening, three months on from their shock title win.
Will The Foxes follow up their dream season with more silverware or can Jose Mourinho get his United career off to a winning start?
Here, we look at five talking points and the key players ahead of the encounter.
ROONEY’S EVER-CHANGING ROLE
It remains unclear just how and where Rooney fits in for United. Once a striker – a position now filled by Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Anthony Martial or Marcus Rashford; then a midfielder – with that project abandoned by Mourinho; Rooney can now only really act as a No10 but with Henrikh Mkhitaryan and potentially even Paul Pogba able to play there, he simply has to perform.
WHO WILL BE SMALLING’S PARTNER?
Barring a considerable decline in form, Chris Smalling will be United’s first-choice centre-back this season but the identity of his partner remains up for debate.
The error-prone Marcos Rojo doesn’t seem to have much of a future, Daley Blind isn’t a Mourinho-style defender while Phil Jones’ form has fallen off a cliff. Therefore, new signing Eric Bailly can press home his case with a strong performance today.
WHO’S PLAYING FOR THEIR FUTURE?
Bastian Schweinsteiger is a Manchester United player only in name but apart from the German being frozen out the expected summer clear-out has failed to materialise implying Mourinho is willing to give players a chance.
Marouane Fellaini, Juan Mata, Memphis Depay and Blind appear the most under threat so can either work their way into their manager’s affections or perform to help earn a transfer away.
CAN MENDY MATCH KANTE’S ENERGY?
It’s credit to Leicester that the only major loss from their title-winning squad so far has been N’Golo Kante. However, the French midfielder was very much the fulcrum for how the Foxes delivered their high-energy, relentless pressing + counter-attack gameplan.
Nampalys Mendy is his heir apparent and appears a very smart piece of business, having arrived from Nice. He needs to hit the ground running… literally.
ADDING MUSA TO THE MIX
At times, Leicester can look a little predictable with the quick throughball or pass over the top to Vardy and Mahrez soon worked out by better defensive teams.
The arrival of Ahmed Musa from CSKA Moscow gives them an extra attacking weapon and a mercurial one at that. Fast in the dribble, he fits Ranieri’s go-to strategy but is also able to produce moments of real magic.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
LEICESTER CITY – RIYAD MAHREZ
Doubts surround his future with Arsenal’s interest refusing to go away, so it will be interesting how he performs with so much potential distraction. Mourinho is a master in the art of restricting free-flowing attacking players so Mahrez will have to adapt his approach accordingly.
MANCHESTER UNITED – HENRIKH MKHITARYAN
Ibrahimovic and Pogba may provide headlines but the Armenian has the potential to be United’s most potent attacking force. Quick, direct and with an eye for goal watch him drift away from defenders to find space.