Marcus Rashford benched as Youri Tielemans and Andrey Santos make Man Utd debuts against Hull City

Manchester United have handed competitive debuts to Youri Tielemans and Andrey Santos in their Premier League clash against Hull City, with Marcus Rashford named on the bench. The England forward returned to the club following loan spells with Aston Villa and Barcelona, taking the vacant No. 9 shirt after Rasmus Hojlund sealed a move to Napoli.

Midfield duo make debuts

Michael Carrick handed competitive debuts to new signings Tielemans and Santos as United travelled to Hull in the Premier League on Saturday. Rashford was named among the substitutes alongside established starters Kobbie Mainoo and Lisandro Martinez. The 28-year-old forward has officially taken the No.9 shirt submitted to the Premier League, with Matheus Cunha now occupying his former No.10 jersey.

Carrick backs returning forward

While questions remain over Rashford's long-term future ahead of the transfer deadline, Carrick was quick to praise his application since returning to the group.

Addressing the trajectory of the 28-year-old's career last week, Carrick said: "He's a very good player, and I think if you're going to have a career over 10 or 15 years, there's going to be times when things go in a direction and maybe a different direction.

"I think there are ups and downs, and that doesn't judge you as a one-off kind of judgment. It's what happens over time, and now we're in a positive place as a group, and Marcus can offer us so much. He has done, and he can do again, so in that respect, it's quite exciting."

Iconic squad number inherited

Rashford inherits the iconic shirt previously worn by Sir Bobby Charlton, Andy Cole, and Zlatan Ibrahimovic after Hojlund completed a permanent switch to Napoli.

Underlining the forward's integration into the squad, Carrick added: "He's our player. He arrived back with Kobbie [Mainoo], and Lisandro [Martinez] came the day after, and he's part of the group like anybody else. He came in, he's trained really well.

Transfer deadline looms large

United are looking to take all three points and build early-season momentum with their revamped midfield setup. Rashford's future, with two years left on his £325,000-a-week deal, will stay under the microscope right up until the deadline. Any cameo off the bench against Hull could provide an early hint as to where he truly fits into Carrick's plans this term.