Manchester United's Summer Squad Challenges Ahead of PSG
Manchester United’s summer has been shaped by the World Cup. On Friday night in Paris, Michael Carrick finally starts to see what his new team might look like.
New signing finally ready
The club’s new midfielder, delayed by Belgium’s run to the World Cup quarter-finals, is at last available for selection and in contention to feature against PSG. His first minutes have been a long time coming, but Carrick now has another key piece to work with in the centre of the pitch.
The 21-day mandatory post-tournament break that kept him out is still biting elsewhere in the squad. England pair Marcus Rashford and Kobbie Mainoo, along with Argentina defender Lisandro Martinez, remain sidelined under the same regulations. None of the trio will be involved.
Benjamin Sesko is missing too, still troubled by the shin injury that cut short his campaign last season. United are handling him carefully; there will be no risks taken in pre-season.
Illness, absences and a thin goalkeeping department
Senne Lammens and Matheus Cunha also drop out of the travelling party. Cunha only returned to training this week after Brazil duty at the World Cup and, like Lammens, has been kept away as the club manage what they described as minor, unrelated illnesses.
United expect both to rejoin the group at their training camp in the Republic of Ireland next week, where a historic meeting with old rivals Leeds at Croke Park awaits on Wednesday night. That game is already circled in red.
For now, Carrick has named a 22-man squad for the PSG test, with captain Bruno Fernandes back at the heart of it. The Portuguese playmaker headlines a group that also includes Diogo Dalot and Noussair Mazraoui, with the Morocco international the only one of that trio handed a starting place.
Up front, Bryan Mbeumo keeps his shirt. His two goals in the 2-1 win over Atletico Madrid in Stockholm last weekend made that decision straightforward. The teenager who lit up that game, 15-year-old JJ Gabriel, steps aside this time, as does fellow youngster Jim Thwaites, despite both making their senior debuts in Sweden.
The goalkeeper situation is more delicate. Altay Bayindir is out of the picture after sealing a loan move to Celta Vigo on Friday. With Lammens unavailable and new arrival Karl Darlow still recovering from minor surgery carried out late last season at Leeds, United are light between the posts.
Radek Vitek’s permanent switch to Middlesbrough, a deal worth up to £14million, has thinned the ranks further. That leaves 40-year-old Tom Heaton as the starter once again, with Dermot Mee and teenager Fred Heath backing him up. It is a blend of experience and raw potential, but it is also a reminder of how exposed United are in that area until Darlow returns and Lammens is back to full health.
Long-term injuries cloud the picture
There is no quick fix in midfield or defence either. Manuel Ugarte faces months out after knee surgery in July, the result of a serious injury suffered at the World Cup with Uruguay. His absence strips Carrick of a natural ball-winner in the middle of the pitch just as the season’s tactical framework is being laid down.
At the back, Matthijs de Ligt is still not ready to return from a long-running back problem. United will not rush a defender of his stature, especially with competitive fixtures still on the horizon rather than on the doorstep.
So Carrick goes into the PSG clash with a squad that is strong in names but patchy in availability, shaped by World Cup exertions, minor illnesses and long-term injuries. Pre-season is about building rhythm, but for United it already feels like a test of depth, improvisation and nerve.
