Thursday 26 May 2016 17:33, UK
As Manchester United appoint Jose Mourinho, attention is already turning to his first games in charge.
The former Chelsea manager will have to wait until June 15 for the Premier League fixtures to be revealed, but United's pre-season plans are already taking shape.
Mourinho's first scheduled games are two exciting International Champions Cup matches in China in July and a Community Shield showdown against Premier League champions Leicester in August. Here's a rundown of the fixtures…
Borussia Dortmund (Friday July 22)
Mourinho's United head to China in July, with his first game in charge coming against Thomas Tuchel's Borussia Dortmund. The Bundesliga outfit are a formidable opponent, with Tuchel earning plenty of plaudits since taking over from Jurgen Klopp last summer.
Their high-intensity style will make it a tough workout for United as Mourinho runs the rule over his new squad. The 53-year-old might also hope to have new signings in place in time for the trip. Highlights of the encounter will be shown on Sky Sports.
Manchester City (Monday July 25, Beijing National Stadium)
Mourinho will only have to wait a couple of months for a first meeting with old foe Pep Guardiola, who has taken over at Manchester City to set up a mouth-watering second instalment of their bitter rivalry in Spain.
Mourinho enjoyed heated encounters against Guardiola's Barcelona with Real Madrid and Inter Milan, and the rivalry will give this pre-season Manchester derby an added edge. The pair will be eager to strike a psychological blow before the competitive action commences, and, like Mourinho, Guardiola will use the encounter to assess new squad.
The fixture will take place at the 91,000-capacity Beijing National Stadium, with highlights shown on Sky Sports.
Leicester City (Sunday August 7, Wembley Stadium)
Manchester United's FA Cup triumph under Louis van Gaal means Mourinho will contest the Community Shield against Claudio Ranieri's Leicester City at Wembley Stadium.
Mourinho's men were defeated by Arsene Wenger's Arsenal in last season's curtain-raiser, but the former Chelsea boss will be hoping for a more positive result against the side who dethroned the Blues to win the Premier League title.
United will kick-off their Premier League campaign a week later, and a meeting with Leicester will provide another invaluable opportunity for Mourinho to measure his new side against one of the teams expected to compete at the top of the table.
