Forgetful Neil Warnock hopes Christian Benteke starts for Aston Villa this weekend

The club’s travelling fans, meanwhile, will be eager for another sight of Bastian Schweinsteiger, who received a thunderous reception when he made his competitive debut as a second-half substitute against Spurs.

“Players with his kind of ability in the air are rare”.

Though they only managed a draw last season there, Manchester United have a good record at Villa Park and Sherwood is hoping that the two teams can provide another cracking game for the home fans.

Above all else worry about his Fantasy Football team.

Aston Villa will be without Carles Gil, Jose Angel Crespo, Gary Gardner, Jack Grealish, Chris Herd and Jores Okore for their home opener.

Villa created 117 chances under Sherwood last term.

Eddie Howe’s South-coast side secured promotion to the Premier League for the first time in their history, despite being tipped for relegation to the third tier at the beginning of the game. I think every team has their own problems early in the season. So it was vital we won on Saturday.

While he is unlikely to be spotted by the Sky Sports or BT cameras this season, numerous other Irish personnel who are thriving in roles away from the pitch for various Premier League clubs will be caught in the camera’s glare. Michael Carrick.

“I’m 59 next month and while Claudio Ranieri has come back in at Leicester at 63, it’s very unusual that you get another chance at that age”.

Aston Villa manager Tim Sherwood: “Some of these foreign boys we’ve gone for are better than the English ones”. I wish the game was right now. It will be a tough game. We kept them quiet and nullified the threat against worldwide players so we can only take confidence from that. But we’ve recruited well. “I am going to give it everything I have got”.

Foreign players now offer English clubs better value for money than domestic footballers, Aston Villa manager Tim Sherwood said on Thursday.

Manchester United take on Aston Villa in Birmingham on Friday. Their summer strike signing Rudy Gestede proved sufficient to fill the Christian Benteke-shaped hole up top, scoring the game’s only goal inside the final 20 minutes.

Rivals watch: Most of the traditional big guns are not in action until Sunday, although Tottenham entertain Stoke City on Saturday at 15:00 BST.

Prediction: There are reasons for Manchester United to be wary heading into the fixture, not least because of the prospect of Gestede potentially going up against the lightweight Daley Blind, if the versatile Netherlands worldwide is again selected in the heart of defense.