WHICH PREMIER LEAGUE FIXTURE WILL YOU LOOK FOR?

The fixtures for the 2020/21 Premier League season will be released at 09:00 BST on Thursday – and Manchester United fans’ eyes will be drawn to one opponent in particular.

Although under four weeks have passed since the end of the elongated 2019/20 league campaign, the next term starts on 12 September and all 20 clubs will discover the order of play for their set of 38 matches scheduled between then and 23 May, the final weekend.

Relegated Bournemouth, Norwich City and Watford have been replaced by Fulham, West Bromwich Albion and – most intriguingly after 16 seasons spent outside the top-flight – our old nemesis Leeds United.

Along with the usual grudge matches against Liverpool and Manchester City, it’s the two match-ups with the Elland Road outfit that supporters will be most looking forward to, according to our MUTV Group Chat panel.

“Leeds will be an interesting one, definitely,” says Danny Webber, who had a short spell with the Yorkshire outfit in 2012.

“That now falls into the category of Liverpool and Man City, on history. Some of the biggest games [have been against Leeds]. It's a massive rivalry.

“I know when I signed for Leeds, I got pelters on Twitter! It was better going in that I got pelters... When I left, they gave me even more – I was terrible!

“But no, it's a great club, and they're definitely one that we'll be looking for.”

With the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic still being felt, it’s not yet clear when supporters will be allowed back into stadiums.

It’s likely that the start of next term will take place behind closed doors and ex-Red David May believes that will be to the detriment of Leeds, without their fiercely partisan backing – especially if the first clash between the sides takes place early in the season.

“It's horrible that we won't have the atmospheres, with Leeds coming up,” says May.

“The first thing you look for, with Leeds coming up, is 'wow, the atmosphere going to Elland Road...' But if there's only half-a-dozen people there, it will be boring, it will be rubbish.

“So Leeds could actually come up and get relegated, and not play in front of any crowds. That atmosphere at Leeds is phenomenal; it is great.”

Ben Thornley agrees with his former team-mate, saying: “It will be tough for Leeds coming up - not having those fans at Elland Road behind them.”

Finding out when we’ll travel to champions Liverpool – unbeaten at Anfield in over three years – is high on Thornley’s priority list.

“Always Liverpool away - I think that is undoubted.

“Even before they came to the fore in these last couple of years, I think that was always the fixture that you were looking to go and win.

“Obviously, it's the most difficult place to go, for obvious reasons. But it's always Liverpool.”

Aside from head-to-heads with our great rivals, fans will be keen to know who United will face on the opening and closing days.

The make-up of the Christmas schedule – with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side potentially involved in six games in 16 days across league and Carabao Cup – is also worth taking note of, as Wes Brown highlights: “I just want to know if it's home or away [on Boxing Day]. It's very important!”