By Chris O'Brien
August 20 2006

MUFC have released their squad numbers for the new season, with the number ten shirt left vacant following Ruud Van Nistelrooy's departure. Edwin Van Der Sar has been handed the number 1 jersey, whilst Giuseppe Rossi will be expecting more first-team action after being handed the number 19.

Manchester United have released new squad numbers ahead of the forthcoming Premiership campaign.

Perhaps the biggest news is that the number ten shirt has been left vacant. The jersey was worn by Ruud Van Nistelrooy last season, but has not been assigned to a member of the current squad, suggesting a new arrival could be on his way before the closure of the transfer window.

Meanwhile, Edwin Van Der Sar has been handed the number one jersey after wearing 19 last season. Michael Carrick, as was confirmed when he completed his big-money move to Old Trafford, has taken Roy Keane's number 16, whilst Giuseppe Rossi will be expecting to play a more prominent role in first-team affairs this season after swapping squad number 42 for 19, once worn by striker Dwight Yorke.

Loan signing Tomasz Kuszczak has been handed the 29 jersey, whilst youngster David Jones is another starlet expected to have a good season as he takes the 25 shirt.

The squad numbers are as follows:

1 - Edwin Van Der Sar (gk)
2 - Gary Neville
3 - Patrice Evra
4 - Gabriel Heinze
5 - Rio Ferdinand
6 - Wesley Brown
7 - Cristiano Ronaldo
8 - Wayne Rooney
9 - Louis Saha
11 - Ryan Giggs
13 - Ji-Sung Park
14 - Alan Smith
15 - Nemanja Vidic
16 - Michael Carrick
17 - Liam Miller
18 - Paul Scholes
19 - Giuseppe Rossi
20 - Ole Gunnar Solskjaer
22 - John O'Shea
23 - Kieran Richardson
24 - Darren Fletcher
25 - David Jones
27 - Mikael Silvestre
29 - Tomasz Kuszczak (gk)
33 - Christopher Eagles
38 - Tom Heaton (gk)
49 - Richard Jones