Premier League grant Man Utd request to open 2026-27 season away as Old Trafford gets new pitch

Manchester United will kick off the 2026-27 Premier League season on the road after the league granted the club’s request for an away opener, with Old Trafford’s playing surface being replaced for the first time in 14 years.

Michael Carrick’s side travel to Hull City’s MKM Stadium on Saturday, August 22 — a fixture that suits United’s schedule given the extensive work currently under way at their home ground. Ground staff have dug up the Old Trafford pitch and are laying new turf, with additional safety features also being installed. The safety upgrades follow concern over the three-foot slope near the advertising boards — a hazard highlighted when Benjamin Sesko was pushed into the boards and aggravated an injury at the ground.

The extra week bought by the away start gives United’s staff more time to prepare the surface before hosting newly-promoted Ipswich Town on the weekend of August 29. Carrick’s team then face a short trip to Everton before welcoming Manchester City to Old Trafford.

United’s schedule before the extended three-week international break in September and October ends with an away fixture at Fulham, meaning the club will have played just two Premier League home games by the weekend of October 10.

Off the pitch, United are closing in on their first summer signing. A £35 million deal for Atalanta midfielder Ederson — currently representing Brazil at the World Cup — is reported to be near completion. The club have already confirmed the departures of Casemiro, Jadon Sancho, and Tyrell Malacia, all three of whom were out of contract.

“There’s obviously work to do,” Carrick said at the end of last season. “I know it’s quite obvious, there’s certain players leaving, that there’s a bit of work to do. It’s not any more important, this one, than the last one, or it’s what’s ahead of us as a football club to try and make the most of.”

Before the competitive season begins, United will tour Europe in pre-season, with trips to Finland, Norway, Sweden, Ireland, and Poland. Fixtures against Wrexham, Rosenborg, Atlético Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain, Leeds, and AC Milan are scheduled. Carrick will use those games to assess his squad ahead of United’s return to the Champions League, secured by a third-placed finish last term.