Wayne Rooney's tenure as Plymouth Argyle head coach will officially begin on Friday evening, with the Championship outfit taking on South African outfit Orlando Pirates in Marbella.
Plymouth were last in action on May 4, ending their 2023-24 Championship campaign with a 1-0 success over Hull City, while Orlando Pirates beat Mamelodi Sundowns 2-1 to win the Nedbank Cup at the start of June.
Match preview
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Plymouth finished 21st in the Championship last season, surviving relegation by a single point, and they are now preparing for a second straight campaign in the second tier for the first time since 2010.
The Pilgrims appointed Rooney as their new head coach at the end of May, and it will be fascinating to see how the 38-year-old fares at Home Park following his swift departure from Birmingham City.
Plymouth have a busy summer in terms of friendlies, facing Orlando Pirates, Cheltenham Town, Torquay United, Bristol Rovers and MK Dons before opening their Championship campaign against Sheffield Wednesday on August 11.
This fixture will take place in Marbella, where Plymouth are on a warm-weather training camp, and the contest will be their only one in Spain before heading back to England.
The Pilgrims have made four signings thus far this summer, bringing in Nathanael Ogbeta on a permanent basis, while Darko Gyabi, Ibrahim Cissoko and Muhamed Tijani have arrived on loan.
Orlando Pirates, meanwhile, are in Spain for a three-match tour, facing Plymouth on July 12, before tackling Sevilla and Al Sadd on July 15 and July 19 respectively.
The South African outfit were last in action on June 1, recording a 2-1 victory over Mamelodi Sundowns to retain the Nedbank Cup, lifting the trophy for the 10th time in their history.
Orlando Pirates have triumphed in South Africa's top flight on nine previous occasions, while they were runners-up last term, finishing second to Mamelodi Sundowns, who won the title by 23 points.
Jose Riveiro's side have made three signings in the current window, bringing in Thalente Mbatha, Gilberto and Bayanda Thabethe, while a number of players have departed, so there is set to be a fresh look to the squad next term.
Team News
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There could be three debutants for Plymouth in this match, with Ogbeta, Cissoko and Tijani all expected to be involved at some stage of the contest.
Rooney will want to have a full look at his squad over the next couple of weeks before further decisions are made in terms of incomings and outgoings.
Morgan Whittaker, who scored 19 times in the Championship last season, continues to be linked with a move away from Plymouth this summer, but the in-demand attacker is with the squad in Spain, and he is expected to start on Friday evening.
Orlando Pirates, meanwhile, could also hand debuts to three players, including Mbatha, who has made the move to the club from SuperSport United.
Head coach Riveiro will also want to have a strong look at his squad in Spain, so it is likely that two different XIs will take to the field for each half of the contest.
Among the starters could be Boitumelo Radiopane, who is back at the club after a loan spell.
Plymouth Argyle possible starting lineup:
Cooper; Phillips, Scarr, Gibson; Edwards, Randell, Devine, Mumba; Whittaker, Hardie, Bundu
Orlando Pirates possible starting lineup:
Gumede; Ndah, Sibisi, Sesane, Maela; Mbatha, Kimvuidi, Dlamini, Matrose; Kapinga, Radiopane
We say: Plymouth Argyle 2-1 Orlando Pirates
This should be a good test for both sides, which is what the two managers will be hoping for at this stage of their preparations. Plymouth will fancy their chances of coming out on top, though, and we are backing Rooney to get his tenure off to a winning start.
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Matt Law
