Referee John Brooks has needed to withdraw from overseeing Saturday afternoon’s Group Protect recreation between Manchester Metropolis and Manchester United.
The normal season curtain raiser between the FA Cup winners and the top-flight champions has been contested since 1908, albeit originating as a professionals vs amateurs affair earlier than settling into it present guise in 1930.
That implies that this yr’s encounter might be a repeat of Could’s FA Cup last, when Erik ten Hag’s Manchester United pulled off an upset over Pep Guardiola’s title-winning Manchester Metropolis.
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Brooks had been chosen because the referee for the event, with kick-off set for 3pm on Saturday afternoon, however has needed to withdraw as a consequence of a minor harm. Jarred Gillett, initially named as fourth official, has been appointed in his place.
That implies that Sam Barrott has been referred to as as much as function the manager-wrangler within the dugout, with Adrian Holmes and Nick Greenhalgh operating the strains.
Peter Bankes will lead the VAR staff, supporting by Sian Massey-Ellis and Tim Robinson.
The Group Protect might be contested in a Manchester derby at Wembley (Picture credit score: Alamy)
United have received probably the most Group Shields of any membership, lifting it on 21 events (together with sharing it 4 occasions, again within the days when a draw would very magnanimously share the defend). United haven’t raised it since 2016, nevertheless.
Metropolis have received it six occasions and have by no means needed to share it, however have been the overwhelmed aspect in every of the previous three seasons, with Leicester Metropolis, Liverpool and Arsenal all beating them to it. Virtually as if it is primarily a glorified pleasant they are not too bothered about or one thing, who can say.
The Group Protect end result has solely accurately predicted one of many previous 13 Premier League title winners, with Metropolis lifting the Premier League trophy 9 months on from their final win again in 2018.
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