Martin Keown tells Louis van Gaal to play Chris Smalling on opening day

Manchester United defender Chris Smalling should get the nod over Phil Jones on the opening day of the season, according to former Arsenal centre-back Martin Keown.

United boss Louis van Gaal confirmed that Matteo Darmian, Daley Blind and Luke Shaw would all start in the back four against Tottenham Hotspur, hinting that he had yet to decide between the English duo.

However, Keown believes that Smalling impressed more than Jones last season and should be given a chance in the early weeks of the campaign.

He told the Daily Mail: "I think Smalling turned a corner last season. When Louis van Gaal moved him from the left side of central defence to the right, he looked a lot more assured. It had an instant effect on his passing, and everything else improved as a result. He seemed to grow as a player.

"The same thing happened to me as a player. So I'd start with him, but discarding Jones would be a big dilemma for Van Gaal. He could see it as his challenge to turn Jones into the player many thought he would be. Perhaps the comparison with Duncan Edwards has been a big cross to bear for him."

Jones got the nod in United's final pre-season game against Paris Saint-Germain yesterday.