Haji Mnoga in: The ideal AFC Wimbledon starting XI v Colchester United on August 10th | OneFootball

FLW previews the ideal AFC Wimbledon starting XI for their opener against Colchester United in 2024/25

AFC Wimbledon kick off their season at home to Colchester United in just over a month, but the transfer window could still alter how they line up.

The Dons have so far made four signings before heading away on their pre-season trip to Spain, with a few more surely around the corner.

However, at FLW, we have put together an ideal XI, lining up in a 4-3-3 formation, that should be starting against Danny Cowley's Colchester, featuring three of the four current new signings, as well as a few potential signings that could and should be on Johnnie Jackson's radar.

GK: Owen Goodman

Owen Goodman would provide a good base to build a successful team, with the keeper highly regarded by Crystal Palace, his current club.

He would likely be joining the Dons on a season-long loan, and given he has already gained experience at this level, would be an excellent signing if the Dons are to follow through on previously reported interest.

The 20-year-old spent last season on loan at, ironically, Colchester United and in 38 games at the Essex club, the 6ft 4in keeper remained a shining light in a struggling side. He kept four clean sheets, made 3.0 saves per game, and over the entire season, made 113, according to Sofascore, and if the Dons utilise their local links to the Eagles, they could have a strong option in goal for this opening game, and the entirety of the season.

LB: Ollie Harfield

Left-back is a position that is going to become a headache for the Dons if they do not pull their act together, and Ollie Harfield could ease that headache and prove to be a quality acquisition that should be a starter come August 9th.

The left-back was included in the Vanarama National League Team of the Season, having had a stellar season for the Shots, appearing 46 times and registering six assists.

The Dons are going to need backup in the position with both Lee Brown and now Jack Currie having departed from the club, but in terms of a starter versus Colchester, with an ever-closing market, Harfield would be a great signing and a brilliant first choice for the position.

CB: Ryan Johnson

Forming part of what Dons' fans already know as an impenetrable pairing, Ryan Johnson should be featuring in the first lineup of the season, with the hope that he can continue on his great form from last year.

The former Stockport County man formed part of an excellent partnership with Joe Lewis at the back for Wimbledon last season, and displayed his 'bruiser' playstyle, winning nearly every header and tackle and normally leaving his opponent in a pile on the floor wondering what had hit them.

While Jackson could end up signing further defensive options, Johnson should be one of the first on the teamsheet when the matchday number one comes around, as without him, the side looked much weaker.

CB: Joe Lewis

Joining Johnson in the ideal starting XI for that first match against Colchester next season should still be Joe Lewis.

Another former Stockport man, the Welsh-born centre-back played on the right side of the pairing, and became a firm fan-favourite, gaining particular notoriety for his short shorts as well as his brilliant ball-playing abilities and calmness both on the ball, and while defending.

Like Johnson, Lewis should be forming part of an irreplaceable core of what could be a promotion-winning team, and Jackson would be very foolish to alter this strong pairing come the start of 24/25.

RB: Haji Mnoga

While in the dream XI, Isaac Ogundere was listed as the player that we would fancy in a starting lineup in the upcoming season, upon further research into the free agent market, Haji Mnoga presents a fantastic option at right-back.

The defender spent last season on loan at Aldershot Town, where, despite not winning promotion or featuring in the playoffs, the Shots and Mnoga experienced a brilliant season. The right-back registered two goals in 37 appearances while playing in the National League, and he also gained international honours with Tanzania.

With the defender available on a free transfer following his release by Portsmouth, there should not be too much dawdling from the Dons if they want to strengthen their options at full-back, or even centre-back, with the 12-time capped international also able to fill in centrally. It would also give either Isaac Ogundere or Huseyin Biler a chance to head out on loan and develop themselves into useful future players for Wimbledon.

CM: Jake Reeves

All that Jake Reeves has to do is continue to be the same player he was last season, and that should provide the Dons with an excellent basis in midfield. He became a true captain last season and took a team that was languishing without a leader to a team that was performing well, having finally gained a commanding voice on the pitch.

He will need to add to his goals and assists from midfield if the Dons want to become a powerhouse in the league, but given that fact he has already made Wimbledon a lot more cohesive, the job of supplying goal contributions could perhaps be left to his midfield colleagues.

Ideally, he should play a holding role in what will be a three-man midfield against Colchester, and become the player responsible for bringing the ball out of the defensive third, into the middle of the park, and onwards to attack options further up the pitch.

CM: Callum Maycock

One of two new signings in the middle of the park, Callum Maycock should be in the starting XI against Colchester, playing in a similar role to when he was at his previous club, Solihull Moors.

Operating as a more defensive-minded box-to-box midfielder, Maycock had a knack for arriving late into the box, notching up a fantastic nine goals, while also contributing three assists.

He will have to make sure that he impresses early on in his Dons career, with James Ball likely wanting to grab any opportunity to feature in the starting XI following a frustrating first season at Plough Lane, and youngster Morgan Williams also waiting in the wings for his chance, but if he features and performs well against Colchester, there should not be any worries.

CM: Alistair Smith

Alistair Smith is the second signing in the middle of the park this summer for the Dons, and like Maycock, should be in the starting XI if Johnnie Jackson is truly looking to change his system from last season.

Smith has joined Wimbledon on-loan from Lincoln City in League One, but performed very well in an attack-minded box-to-box role while on loan at Colchester United during the second half of last season.

His inclusion in the starting XI hinges on the fact that Williams or Ball may go on to have brilliant pre-seasons and that Jackson may not be opting for a three-man midfield, but with his talents clearly displayed last year in both League One and Two, it would be hard for Jackson to ignore Smith and deny him an inclusion.

LW: Myles Hippolyte

Myles Hippolyte is an ideal attacking option for the Dons, not just with his goals and assists, but also with what he can provide for the team elsewhere. He has the know-how of gaining promotion from a competitive league, having done so with Stockport in 2021/22, but he also has the fitness and reliability that was often lacking for Wimbledon last season.

In an ideal starting XI, the Grenadian international would be playing on the left-hand side, but Jackson does like to swap his wingers in game to cause a little confusion within the opposition ranks.

However, away from swapping wings and playing in a certain position, what most fans will be hoping for is a winger who has bags full of pace, has no fear when taking on his man, and can put a decent cross into the box for a certain Lebanese striker to attack.

RW: Omari Patrick

As mentioned in the dream XI article earlier in the window, Omari Patrick is naturally also a left-winger, but as we have just identified, Jackson does like to swap his wingers around in a game, so the former Sutton United man could feature on the right wing if he is signed following his release from the fellow South London club.

He has proved not only to the Dons but also to many opposition defences back in 2022/23, that he can be a threat when attacking from either wing, as highlighted by his five goals and two assists in Carlisle United's promotion season.

His pace would be a perfect match for Hippolyte on the opposite wing and would allow the Dons to have two brilliant attacking options out wide against Colchester. Add to his talents, his versatility and locality the fact that he has also been part of a promotion-winning squad too, and he really should be signed up and featuring in the squad for the opening match.

ST: Omar Bugiel

Operating as a lone forward is not something that Omar Bugiel has done too often in his Dons career, with him being partnered with both Ali Al-Hamadi and Josh Kelly throughout the season. However, as with the new-look, three-man midfield, Bugiel should be featuring as the sole striker against Colchester come August 9th.

He would be the perfect focal point for Hippolyte, and potentially, Patrick to aim for in the box, and if he can carry his form from last season over into 24/25, he will help spearhead a Dons promotion charge.

It would not be unlikely for the target-man to maybe feature alongside the likes of Matty Stevens or Josh Kelly in a slightly altered formation, but in an ideal world and starting XI, the Lebanese international would be the starting striker for Wimbledon, and demosntrate why he, and the South West Londoners, are going to be a force to be reckoned with in 2024/25.