Heading into week four of the Premier League season, fantasy football managers find themselves in a position where team selection becomes even more crucial.

Some big-name players have disappointed in the opening weeks, leading bosses to consider whether to stick or twist in favour of in-form options.

With three weeks down, the week ahead may prove crucial for your hopes for the season, with the first midweek fixtures of the campaign also looming large.

Crucial decisions lie ahead and Stats Perform is here to help, using Opta data to select four picks for your consideration.

Robert Sanchez (Brighton and Hove Albion vs Leeds United)

Brighton's fine start to the Premier League season has seen the Seagulls secure wins against Manchester United and West Ham, either side of a goalless draw with Newcastle United, and goalkeeper Robert Sanchez has played a significant part.

The Spaniard is one of four goalkeepers to have kept two clean sheets in the opening three matches and boasts a save percentage of 90 per cent – the highest in the competition.

Sanchez is yet to concede against an opposition player, being beaten only by an own goal at Old Trafford, and has a goals prevented tally of 1.4, which can only be bettered by two players.

Ivan Toney (Brentford vs Everton)

With two goals and two assists in the opening weeks of the season, Ivan Toney stands as one of the division's most in-form players – only Gabriel Jesus and Rodrigo have more Premier League goal involvements in 2022-23.

Toney's form should be recognised as more than a purple patch, however, as it maintains a stellar run for the Brentford forward this calendar year; Toney has 15 goal contributions (10 goals, five assists) in 2022.

Only Harry Kane (23), Son Heung-min (21) and Kevin de Bruyne (21) have a higher return among Premier League players since the start of the year.

William Saliba (Arsenal vs Fulham)

Arsenal defender William Saliba has quickly adjusted to life in the Premier League, establishing himself as a rock at the heart of the Gunners' defence and helping Mikel Arteta's men keep two clean sheets this term.

Having also scored in last weekend's victory against Bournemouth, Saliba is one of three defenders to have kept two clean sheets and scored a goal this season – alongside Newcastle duo Fabian Schar and Kieran Trippier.

Meanwhile, the Gunners' excellent defensive form has seen them face just 22 shots this season, only five of which have been on target. No other Premier League side has conceded fewer.

Ivan Perisic (Nottingham Forest vs Tottenham)

Tottenham's wealth of new additions have begun to make an impact for Antonio Conte's side, including Ivan Perisic – who has assisted each of Spurs' last two Premier League goals.

Both assists came from a corner and both were converted by Harry Kane, who equalised late in a fiery 2-2 draw with Chelsea before netting the only goal of the game in last week's victory against Wolves.

Perisic's form has seen him carry over a fine record from the latter stages of his time with Inter, having been involved in 11 goals in his past 13 league appearances (three goals, eight assists).

Manchester United are under pressure to make some signings amid their poor start to the new Premier League season.

The Red Devils have lost their opening two league games under new boss Erik ten Hag.

United have only brought in a few players this off-season and are in need for reinforcements.

TOP STORY – MAN UTD DECLINED BY ATLETICO IN JOAO FELIX BID

Atletico Madrid have rejected a bumper £110million (€130m) bid from Manchester United for Portuguese forward Joao Felix, claims AS.

Atleti have reportedly inserted a staggering €350m (£295m) release clause in the 22-year-old's contract.

United's reported bid is a club record, £25m more than the fee they paid Juventus for Paul Pogba in 2016.

ROUND-UP

– United want to sign five more players this transfer window reports the Telegraph and have a shortlist of potential signings with Borussia Dortmund's Thomas Meunier, Chelsea winger Christian Pulisic, Real Madrid midfielder Casemiro, Lazio's Sergej Milinkovic-Savic and Barcelona's Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. Everton goalkeeper Asmir Begovic is also on their radar to provide a back-up to David de Gea.

– Paris Saint-Germain have not given up in a pursuit of Manchester City midfielder Bernardo Silva and are plotting a €71m (£59m) move for him, according to The Times.

– Napoli are closing in on a deal to sign Sassuolo's 22-year-old forward Giacomo Raspadori reports Calciomercato. It is claimed he will join Napoli by the end of the week.

– Nottingham Forest's busy window continues with the newly promoted Premier League club chasing Madrid right-back Alvaro Odriozola, according to AS.

– Brighton and Hove Albion want a permanent move for Chelsea midfielder Billy Gilmour, reports the Daily Mail. 

Brighton and Hove Albion have completed the signing of defender Pervis Estupinan from LaLiga side Villarreal.

The Ecuador international arrives for an undisclosed fee reported to be worth £14million (€16.7m) and has put pen to paper on a five-year deal at the Amex Stadium.

The 24-year-old will add plenty of experience to the Seagulls' back line, having won the Europa League with Villarreal in 2021, while also featuring for Granada, Almeria, Real Mallorca and Osasuna in Spain.

Signing a new left-back had been a priority following the sale of Marc Cucurella to Chelsea, and head coach Graham Potter is thrilled by the arrival of Estupinan, who racked up 74 appearances during his two-year spell at El Madrigal.

"We're excited by what Pervis brings us, and he fills a position to which we've been looking to add depth," he told the club's official website.

"In addition to his international experience, he has played for Villarreal in the Champions League and Europa League, as well as gaining plenty of experience in LaLiga.

"We will help him to settle here in England, but we're looking forward to working with him and seeing him in action in the Premier League."

Estupinan could make his Brighton debut when the Seagulls face West Ham United at the London Stadium on Sunday.

Chelsea are reportedly weighing up a second bid for 21-year-old Everton winger Anthony Gordon after their initial £40million offer was turned down.

Gordon, a product of Everton's youth academy, broke into the first team this past season, tallying four goals and two assists in 35 Premier League appearances.

Manager Frank Lampard has publicly said the club values him highly and that he is not for sale, but with a bidding war beginning to emerge, it remains to be seen if there is a price that could change that mindset.

TOP STORY – CHELSEA CHASE ENGLAND UNDER-21 WINGER

According to ChronicleLive, it was Newcastle United who first approached Everton with a £35m offer, which Chelsea caught wind of and immediately began the process of coming in over the top with a larger bid.

Gordon is only a couple of seasons into a five-year extension that ties him to the club until 2025, although further reporting from CBS claims Everton have told interested parties that a figure of £50m would trigger a serious conversation.

CBS's Ben Jacobs adds that Chelsea are very interested in including players in their offer, although Everton have no desire to bring back Ross Barkley, and the Stamford Bridge club do not want to include Armando Broja, although Michy Batshuayi was mentioned as a possibility.

Newcastle are expected to re-enter the chase for Gordon if Chelsea can agree on a fee.

ROUND-UP

– Deportivo Mundo are reporting Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang wants to stay at Barcelona and fight for a starting spot after a £12m bid from Chelsea was turned down, although Metro claims the Spanish giants would accept a bid in the range of £23m.

– According to the Mirror, Manchester United, Arsenal and West Ham are all interested in 20-year-old Brighton midfielder Moises Caicedo.

– Sky Sports Italy reports Nottingham Forest are close to landing Arsenal target Houssem Aouar from Lyon, and talkSPORT add the newly promoted Premier League side have also bid £17m for Eintracht Frankfurt midfielder Djibril Sow.

– Leicester City are prepared to let Youri Tielemans leave on a free transfer at the end of the season, according to the Times.

– West Ham have made a €10m offer for 22-year-old Spezia centre-back and Polish international Jakub Kiwior, per Calciomercato, with Milan also said to have interest.

Manchester United are reportedly engaged in discussions with Atletico Madrid about a potential move for striker Alvaro Morata in an effort to add some much-needed firepower up front.

Morata, 29, spent the past two seasons on loan at Juventus, where he racked up 32 goals and 21 assists in 92 club appearances, but with the Italian giants opting not to make it a permanent move, the Spaniard's future is unclear.

He has been starting for Madrid in pre-season games – including netting a hat-trick against Juve earlier this month – but with Antoine Griezmann, Joao Felix and the club's top-scorer from last season Angel Correa all available, it appears Diego Simeone may prefer to cash in.

TOP STORY – RED DEVILS LOOK TO FORMER CHELSEA STRIKER FOR ANSWERS

The report from The Athletic claims the Old Trafford side view a move for Morata as "a genuine possibility", with the price tag said to be in the neighbourhood of £30million.

It highlights the state of United's current forward stocks, with Edinson Cavani and Jesse Lingard departing, while Cristiano Ronaldo has reportedly requested a transfer, and the futures of Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial are considered up in the air.

After a horrible beginning to their Premier League campaign, United are expected to be active for the remainder of the transfer period – with Metro also reporting Frenkie de Jong has told team-mates he will likely be headed to Manchester.

ROUND-UP

– The Daily Mail are reporting Chelsea have agreed to personal terms with 21-year-old Leicester City centre-back Wesley Fofana, although they have had two bids rejected as the asking price remains above £80m.

– The Daily Mail also claims United have told Paris Saint-Germain that Rashford is not for sale, with the Times adding that the French giants view him as a long-term partner to Kylian Mbappe.

– According to Sunday Express, Newcastle United have engaged Benfica in discussions about 21-year-old Portuguese midfielder Goncalo Ramos, who is said to be valued at £35m.

– Fabrizio Romano is reporting 19-year-old Udinese full-back Destiny Udogie is in England for a medical to confirm his £15m move to Tottenham, although he will be loaned back to Udinese for the remainder of the season.

– Nottingham Forest have agreed to a £15m move for Brighton striker Neal Maupay, per The Athletic.

Newcastle United will travel to League Two side Tranmere Rovers in the second round of the EFL Cup.

The Magpies, who are one of the richest clubs in the world, will travel to Prenton Park later this month after Micky Mellon's men beat Accrington Stanley on penalties in the first round on Tuesday.

Frank Lampard's Everton travel to League One outfit Fleetwood Town, while Leeds United host Barnsley at Elland Road.

Aston Villa travel to Bolton Wanderers, Brighton and Hove Albion visit Forest Green Rovers, and Fulham are on the road to Crawley Town.

All fixtures will take place during the week commencing August 22, with the seven Premier League sides in European competition set to join in round three. 

EFL Cup second-round draw in full:

Northern Section

Bolton Wanderers v Aston Villa
Derby County v West Brom/Sheffield United
Wolves v Preston North End
Leeds United v Barnsley
Fleetwood Town v Everton
Sheffield Wednesday v Rochdale
Tranmere Rovers v Newcastle United
Rotherham United v Morecambe
Barrow v Lincoln City
Stockport County v Leicester City
Bradford City v Blackburn Rovers
Grimsby Town v Nottingham Forest
Shrewsbury Town v Burnley

Southern Section

Stevenage v Peterborough United
Norwich City v Bournemouth
Newport County v Portsmouth
Oxford United v Crystal Palace
Watford v MK Dons
Colchester United v Brentford
Wycombe Wanderers v Bristol City
Walsall v Charlton Athletic
Crawley Town v Fulham
Cambridge United v Southampton
Gillingham v Exeter
Forest Green Rovers v Brighton and Hove Albion

Adam Lallana has revealed part of Brighton and Hove Albion's plan in their opening weekend victory at Manchester United was to target new arrival Lisandro Martinez.

Graham Potter's side got their Premier League campaign underway with their first ever win at Old Trafford, with the former England international a key figure to his team's 2-1 success on Sunday.

The introduction in the second half of Cristiano Ronaldo by new United manager Erik ten Hag was not enough for the hosts, as Pascal Gross' two first-half goals proved enough to see off an Alexis Mac Allister own goal.

Martinez made his debut from the start following his pre-season move from Ajax, and the Argentine's partnership with Harry Maguire was put to the test early on by the movement of the visitors.

Speaking to Sky Sports' Melissa Reddy after the win, Lallana said it had been part of the plan to try and unsettle Martinez as he was new to the league.

"[The plan was] to have a lot of courage," the former Liverpool man revealed. "We had a shape, we had triggers. Me and [Danny Welbeck] have a lot of experience in the final third.

"We went a little bit more direct because we knew United had been pressing well in pre-season, obviously with new ideas from the manager, and I thought Wells caused them problems all game.

"With their new signing [Martinez], we know the Premier League's difficult, so we thought we'd ask him questions early on. We landed on second balls, gained good territory and attacked the ball well in numbers. Something we've spoken about is getting across the front post and Pascal got the finishes."

Ronaldo was left on the bench initially by Ten Hag, having only featured for 45 minutes of pre-season due to personal reasons, though there had also been frequent speculation suggesting he wishes to leave for a Champions League club.

His introduction early in the second half led to a change of shape, with another United debutant, Christian Eriksen, moving from a false nine position into midfield.

Lallana credited Potter with "taking the sting" out of the game, while also bemoaning some refereeing decisions that went against them, including a push from Martinez on Welbeck in the penalty area that was deemed fair by the officials.

"We knew they were going to react tactically or with personnel," he said. "We played the second half knowing it wasn't going to be the same [as the first], but we weathered the storm.

"I thought there were a couple of decisions that didn't go our way. We had a penalty chance, a couple of fouls that the ref let go, but we made good subs at good times. I thought the manager just took the sting out of the game and we shored the game up brilliantly in the last five or 10 minutes.

"It was a huge positive and good game management."

Gary Neville launched a scathing attack on Manchester United's transfer strategy after their 2-1 defeat to Brighton and Hove Albion, labelling the Red Devils "desperate" amid reports linking them with Marko Arnautovic.

United began the Erik ten Hag era in dismal fashion on Sunday as Pascal Gross' double condemned them to an opening-day defeat to the Seagulls.

The result made Ten Hag the first United boss to lose his first Premier League game at the helm since Louis van Gaal did so against Swansea City in August 2014.

With wantaway striker Cristiano Ronaldo starting on the bench and fellow forward Anthony Martial injured, United struggled to test a resolute Brighton rearguard and only pulled a goal back when Alexis Mac Allister put through his own net.

In the aftermath of United's defeat, widespread reports suggested they had a £7.6million (€9m) bid for Bologna's 33-year-old forward Arnautovic rejected.

United have also failed to entice top target Frenkie de Jong from Barcelona thus far, and Neville did not hold back when discussing the club's recruitment.

"The first thing you do when the phone rings from Manchester United is reject the bid, because the reality of it is after losing that game against Brighton on Sunday, they're actually negotiating from an even worse position than they were on Saturday, and that's an even bigger problem for them," the former United defender said on Sky Sports.

"I've got a comment on everything in the world, apart from Manchester United signing Marko Arnautovic. I've got nothing to say.

"We've seen Radamel Falcao, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Edison Cavani, Odion Ighalo - desperate, it's a pattern. 

"It's happening time and time again. I don't even get angry or animated about it anymore. I'm not going to comment about it."

Micah Richards was also unimpressed by the potential acquisition of Arnautovic, adding: "What has happened to Manchester United, seriously? I'm not going to stick the boot in. Arnautovic was a quality player, but he's 33 playing in Italy."

After playing in the Premier League for Stoke City and West Ham, Arnautovic spent two years in China with Shanghai Port before moving to Bologna – for whom he scored 14 Serie A goals last season – in 2021.

In his post-match media conference, Ten Hag declined to mention Arnautovic by name, only lamenting the unavailability of the strikers in his squad, with Ronaldo limited to a substitute appearance.

"I don't go into names because I think in this pre-season 250 players are involved or linked with Manchester United, so that's it," Ten Hag said. "We have two strikers, maybe a third one, with Marcus Rashford as well.

"We considered him as a striker, but he had a really good pre-season on the left side and today he had two really good chances coming in from the left side.

"So I think it was the right decision to do it like this, the typical number nine wasn't available today."

Manchester United manager Erik Ten Hag insisted his defence was not to blame for their opening-day defeat to Brighton and Hove Albion at Old Trafford.

The Seagulls found themselves 2-0 up at half-time after Pascal Gross scored a first-half brace.

Ten Hag had opted to leave Cristiano Ronaldo on the bench due to a lack of fitness, but brought him on in the second period to positive effect and an Alexis Mac Allister own goal set up a tense finish.

Brighton held on though for their first ever away win at Old Trafford, condemning Ten Hag to defeat in his first competitive game in charge of the Red Devils.

However, the former Ajax boss refused to blame his backline for the defeat, telling reporters: "It wasn't the defending. We defend as a team and we made passing mistakes that were unnecessary in the midfield, then they took over. 

"We have to be better at organisation because we have made appointments and they have to do the job which we talked about, which they have been appointed to do. That is not what we did and then we got punished.

"The same with the second goal, it was totally unnecessary from a ball that was loose in the corner on the other side. It is not good that you then go on and concede a goal."

Ten Hag also spoke on the improvement in United's performance after Ronaldo entered the fray, while conceding that he still has a way to go until he is at his best.

"It was clear to see that in the second half we were better in the midfield, with Christian Eriksen back down and Cristiano Ronaldo further up," Ten Hag added.

"Then we create and [Marcus] Rashford had two really good chances and it's a pity we didn't score to make it 2-2.

"It takes time. We cannot force it and one week in training, a little bit more now, he has to do more to get fit and this game will help him. The 35 to 40 minutes he had now and now we have one week and he will be better next week."

Manchester United head coach Erik Ten Hag has said "it wasn't the defending" that led to his side's opening-day defeat to Brighton and Hove Albion at Old Trafford.

The Seagulls found themselves 2-0 up at half-time after Pascal Gross scored a first-half brace to put his team two goals to good at the interval.

Ten Hag had opted to leave Cristiano Ronaldo on the bench due to a lack of fitness, but brought him on in the second period to positive effect and an Alexis Mac Allister own goal set up a tense finish.

Brighton held on though for their first ever away win at Old Trafford, condemning Ten Hag to defeat in his first competitive game in charge of the Red Devils.

However, the former Ajax man refused to blame his backline for the defeat, telling reporters: "It wasn't the defending. We defend as a team and we made passing mistakes that were unnecessary in the midfield, then they took over. 

"We have to be better at organisation because we have made appointments and they have to do the job which we talked about, which they have been appointed to do. That is not what we did and then we got punished.

"The same with the second goal, it was totally unnecessary from a ball that was loose in the corner on the other side. It is not good that you then go on and concede a goal."

Ten Hag also spoke on the improvement in United's performance after Ronaldo entered the fray, while conceding that he still has a way to go until he is at his best.

"It was clear to see that in the second half we were better in the midfield, with Christian Eriksen back down and Cristiano Ronaldo further up," Ten Hag added.

"Then we create and [Marcus] Rashford had two really good chances and it's a pity we didn't score to make it 2-2.

"It takes time. We cannot force it and one week in training, a little bit more now, he has to do more to get fit and this game will help him. The 35 to 40 minutes he had now and now we have one week and he will be better next week."

Erik ten Hag described Manchester United's dire opening-day defeat to Brighton and Hove Albion as "a real disappointment", as he backed wantaway striker Cristiano Ronaldo to improve following his second-half cameo.

Ten Hag's United tenure got off to a nightmare start as Brighton claimed their first ever win at Old Trafford at the 15th attempt, with Pascal Gross scoring a first-half brace before an Alexis Mac Allister own goal set up a tense finish.

But the Seagulls held on for a memorable victory as Ten Hag became the first United boss – including caretakers – to lose his first Premier League match at the helm since Louis van Gaal did so against Swansea City in August 2014.

With Ronaldo starting on the bench, United faced 12 shots and managed just five of their own in the first half of the contest as Brighton produced a polished display, with this just the third time one of Ten Hag's teams have conceded 12 attempts before the break in 229 top-flight matches. 

Speaking to Sky Sports after the demoralising defeat, Ten Hag bemoaned United's lack of defensive organisation and called for them to improve quickly.

"Of course, it's definitely a setback, a real disappointment, and we have to deal with it," he said.

"I knew from the start it would not be easy, it's a process, it takes time but you don't have time. You have to win games and we should have done better.

"I analysed it and it's unnecessary, we gave two easy balls away, and in think in our organisation there was a big mistake, but that happens, we have to take the lessons.

"I'm not satisfied, I'm totally not happy because we lost and it was unnecessary, we should have done things better. I think also with those players, we could have done better."

United's shot count did improve with 12 attempts in the second half, as Ronaldo's 53rd-minute introduction allowed debutant Christian Eriksen to drop into a deeper position after he started in a false nine role.

Ronaldo's future at Old Trafford remains uncertain after he reportedly professed his desire to leave in search of Champions League football, but Ten Hag was happy with his contribution from the bench and is backing the 37-year-old to improve as he gains match fitness.

"It's clear to see that in the second half we were better in midfield, with Christian Eriksen down and then Cristiano Ronaldo up," he added.

"Then we created. I think [Marcus] Rashford had two very good chances, and it's a pity we didn't score for 2-2.

"It takes time, you cannot force it, and he [Ronaldo] is now one week in training. He has to do more to get fit, this game will help him, the 35-40 minutes he had now, and he will be better next week."

United's next Premier League outing sees them travel to Brentford next Saturday.

Harry Maguire felt Manchester United's poor ball retention and weak mentality were crucial factors in their chastening 2-1 defeat to Brighton and Hove Albion in Erik ten Hag's first Premier League match in charge.

United were beginning a new era at Old Trafford on Sunday, and Brighton were seen by many as a kind first opponent despite the Seagulls battering them 4-0 in May.

Ten Hag handed debuts to Lisandro Martinez and Christian Eriksen, but with Anthony Martial injured and Cristiano Ronaldo only deemed fit enough to start on the bench, United lacked a presence in attack.

Two close-range goals from Pascal Gross had Brighton 2-0 up at half-time, and although a slightly improved United performance led to a scrappy Alexis Mac Allister own goal, the Red Devils could not come up with an equaliser.

In the long run it is hoped Ten Hag will be able to implement an attack-minded possession-based brand of football, but there were few signs of it on display here.

Scott McTominay was indicative of United's poor ball retention and lack of control, completing just 19 passes at a success rate of 67.9 per cent despite playing nearly the entire match in midfield. Even goalkeeper David de Gea attempted (29) more passes than the Scotland international (28).

Captain Maguire thought United showed a poor response to going behind.

He told Sky Sports: "I think we started pretty the game well and on the front foot and as a team we had control of the game.

"Then we conceded the first goal and that knocked back really badly. We stopped playing from then, they got a lot of control in the game.

"We need to look at not letting that first goal set us back as much as it did, but we've got to be better on the ball, we gave the ball away too often in that first half especially after the first goal, we gave them encouragement to come forward and attack us. It was a nightmare start to be 2-0 down at half-time.

"Everyone knew the task. We had a bad season last season, now we've got a new manager trying to put his philosophy on the team, but when we don't get it right we look far too open."

Specifically on the subject of United failing to react to Brighton's first goal, Maguire added: "It's something we need to address or it'll keep happening.

"The first goal felt like a big blow to all 11 of our players. We spoke about getting the next goal [at half-time].

"I think in the second half you saw good parts to our game, but overall we didn't do enough. We had a lot of pressure and a lot of ball, but we need to be a bit more creative and we need to improve on that."

It was the first competitive game Maguire had played with new signing Martinez, and while the Argentina international showed glimpses of his ability, Danny Welbeck got a lot of joy out of both centre-backs.

Maguire accepts forging a proper partnership will require patience.

"It's great to have Licha [Martinez] at the club. We have competition for places at centre-back," he said.

"We've not played much together and in that first period we weren't on the same wavelength. Centre-back partnerships are built over time and we will get a lot better and keep clean sheets."

Manchester United showed it will take much more than one pre-season to become a force again as Erik ten Hag's era as manager began with a chastening 2-1 home defeat by Brighton and Hove Albion.

The atmosphere at United seemed to improve over pre-season, but their performance on Sunday was little better than the underwhelming football regularly served up under Ralf Rangnick.

United struggled to cope with Brighton's fluidity and the visitors deservedly found themselves two up at half-time as Pascal Gross – twice the scorer of winning goals against the Red Devils – netted a brace.

Cristiano Ronaldo – benched due to a lack of fitness – made a difference in the second half and a scrappy Alexis Mac Allister own goal halved the deficit, but Brighton held on for a first ever win at Old Trafford.

There were warning signs inside 20 seconds when a Diogo Dalot error led to Leandro Trossard smashing into the side-netting.

As Brighton's confidence continued to grow, Danny Welbeck inspired the opener with half an hour played, flashing the ball across goal for Gross to tap in at the back post.

Gross was in the right place at the right time again nine minutes later, beating Fred to a rebound and converting after David de Gea parried Solly March's shot.

Ronaldo's introduction just after the break did little to turn the tide initially, with United lucky to avoid a penalty concession when debutant Lisandro Martinez barged Welbeck over.

The Portugal striker did lay a great chance, though, picking out Marcus Rashford who was denied at point-blank range by Robert Sanchez.

But Brighton's goalkeeper was at fault as United pulled one back, putting Mac Allister off as he tried to clear off the line.

United's late flurry failed to produce an equaliser, however.

Cristiano Ronaldo was named among the substitutes as Erik ten Hag chose his first Manchester United starting XI in the Premier League.

The Portugal star's relationship with United was a constant sideshow during pre-season, as he did not go on their tour of Australia and Thailand owing to personal reasons, though at the time there was frequent speculation suggesting he wanted to leave for a Champions League club.

No such move materialised and he played the first 45 minutes against Rayo Vallecano last weekend, his only action of pre-season.

But that occasion only increased the spotlight on Ronaldo, as he was one of several players to leave Old Trafford early, conduct Ten Hag described as "unacceptable" in an interview on Dutch television.

Ten Hag subsequently tried to draw a line under the situation at his news conference on Friday, adamant Ronaldo had attracted unfair focus given how many players left early last Sunday.

Similarly, the Dutchman suggested there was to be no further punishment for the guilty parties.

As such, Ten Hag explained prior to Sunday's game that Ronaldo's presence on the bench is down to his lack of pre-season action, even though United are without a recognised striker with Anthony Martial injured.

Ten Hag told MUTV: "I already mentioned; short pre-season, he only started training last week.

"He only played 45 minutes and he's not on the fitness levels the rest of the team is.

"In the Premier League, the games I saw this weekend were really tough and a high intensity."

In Ronaldo's absence, Ten Hag opted to deploy Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho in attack, with support from Bruno Fernandes.

Elsewhere in the team, Lisandro Martinez – a pre-season arrival from Ten Hag's former club Ajax – was chosen to partner Harry Maguire at centre-back, while Christian Eriksen was also selected for his debut.

Ronaldo is joined on the bench by Ten Hag's first signing, Tyrell Malacia, as well as Raphael Varane, promising youngster Alejandro Garnacho and James Garner, who impressed on loan at Nottingham Forest last season.

Raphael Varane will be able to show his best this season, says Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag, who adds that the Frenchman's fitness will be "a huge boost".

The veteran centre-back arrived at Old Trafford last term to partner Harry Maguire, but a run of injuries saw him muster just 22 league games in all, robbing United of some much-needed stability at the back.

While England international Maguire often shouldered much of the ire, supporters were also left frustrated by Varane's fitness issues, and wondered what role he would play this term under new management, particularly with the arrival of Lisandro Martinez.

But Ten Hag believes having the World Cup winner at full fitness will only aid his squad, adding that he constructed a specialised pre-season training plan in order to help bolster the 29-year-old's prospects.

"[I'm] 100% convinced [we'll see his best]," the Dutchman stated ahead of his side's Premier League opener against Brighton and Hove Albion.

"During pre-season, we built a careful and individual training plan. In the last three weeks, he has been involved in every session on the pitch, I am really happy about that.

"You see him growing, his fitness levels and also his performance levels. I am happy about that as, at the moment, Rapha will be fit and it is a huge boost for both the squad and the team."

Elsewhere, Ten Hag addressed his desire to balance both a commitment to victory and an appreciation for attractive football, after United struggled for both results and flair last term under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Ralf Rangnick.

"A Dutchman, they always want to play attractive football," he said. "That's why I am here and I like it. You want to win, but you also want to win in a certain way, being proactive, brave and with adventure.

"That is also what belongs to the culture of Man Utd, we want to bring it in but, at the end of the day, if you cannot win in a good way or an entertaining way, you still have to win.

"That is the mentality and the attitude that we have to bring in. Of course, there will be games where you will not play well but you still have to win."