Manchester United kick off their preseason campaign this coming Wednesday in Oslo against rivals Leeds United.
As the Red Devils prepare for the 23/24 campaign, fans are able to get a glimpse of what to expect from the team next season.
Erik Ten Hag has named his travailing squad to Oslo and new signing Mason Mount is set to make his debut in the Manchester red. How Ten Hag implements him within the squad will be displayed.
Early games in the tour will more so be players getting up to match fitness however with matches against Real Madrid and Dortmund coming later in the tour the players will get the chance to shine with Ten Hag’s set up for the coming season becoming clearer.
What to expect from the game against Leeds
With this being the first game of the tour many key players are absent as a result of playing for their national side in the end of season international matches. These names include the likes of Marcus Rashford, Bruno, Maguire, Casemiro and Christian Eriksen.
Although it is disappointing to not see these reds in action it does open the door to many young starts to impress the boss before the start of this campaign. Shoretire, Alvaro Fernandez and Mejbri are all players that impressed on their respective loans last season and will look to do the same in the coming weeks as their future for this season will soon be decided at the end of preseason.
Amad Diallo is a hot topic after his loan spell at Sunderland. Since arriving from Atalanta for a large fee under Ole, Amad hasn’t broken into the first team squad. He is respected as one of the next breakout stars across Europe and Ten Hag is keen to see what the player has to offer. Talks are ongoing about where he will be next season however it all awaits Erik’s decision as he wants to wait and see how Diallo performs in preseason.
The No.1 spot between the sticks will likely be taken by Tom Heaton. Last seasons back up will fill in after De Gea’s departure and with a Dean Henderson move approaching he has not been named in the travailing squad.
The return of United’s solid centre half duo of Varane and Martinez looks likely as both are two of the most experienced names in the squad. The World Cup winning duo looked unbeatable at points during last season and will be leading the back line again for the 23/24 campaign.
Lisandro will lace up his boots for the first time since his injury at the backend of last season. The Argentinian international become a favourite at Old Trafford very quickly due to his passionate and aggressive attitude.
This coming match against Leeds will be a fitness exercise as players get back up to match standards. More focus on Erik’s tactics will become clear in the later stages of the tour after securing players in key positions like the new keeper an striker.
Will we see new signings on tour
The transfer of Onana seems to be imminent with the deal to be sealed in the next 48 hours according to reports from the Gazzetta. If reports are true Onana may feature in the next fixture against Lyon.
New signings should come in to reinforce the side before kicking off the domestic season. Expectations of Onana being seen within the next couple of fixtures are promising however it is vital that United complete the signing of a new striker before the tour’s completion.
Being able to implement his style of play with the new striker will be of the upmost importance to Ten Hag as he will not want a repeat of last year’s opening games.
Rasmus Hojlund looks to be the favoured target for United with personal terms agreed reported by Fabrizio Romano and Murtough holding extensive talks with Atalanta according to Samuel Luckhurst.
The move for a number 9 will not be a quick decision. It is expected that they will come in around the later stages of the tour if they were even to join United before the tour’s completion.
Mason Mount is confirmed to be going on tour with United and will feature in tomorrow’s fixture against Leeds.
Key Dates to look out for
- Arsenal vs Man United, Sat 22 July 22:00. A fixture with royal history. Two clubs that have battled for titles in the past will play against one another before embarking on their domestic campaigns. Arsenal were the club that finished above United last season and United should aim to finish above them this year. Although the result will mean nothing, seeing how the teams battle it out may give an indication as to where each team will finish.
- Wrexham vs Man United 26th July 3:30. A clash against Wrexham will certainly raise attention after owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney have changed the clubs fortunes becoming somewhat of a social media powerhouse after their documentary (Welcome to Wrexham) on Disney+. Former United keeper Ben Foster will also make a return against the Red Devils.
- Real Madrid vs Manchester United 27th July 1:30. Two of the biggest clubs across world football face off. Both sides will be fighting for the Champions League next season. This fixture will give a glimpse as to what level United are at compared to the high performing teams in European competition.
- Dortmund vs United 31st July 2:00. A tie against Dortmund late on in United’s tour will give United supporters a preview of the team against its European competition. Dortmund almost clinched the Bundesliga last season and will be a tough match for the Red Devils.
