Manchester United

Simon Stone
Chief football news reporter

Image source, Getty Images

There was some good news on the injury front for Manchester United on Sunday as Victor Lindelof returned to training.

The Sweden defender is yet to play a match during United's pre-season campaign due to what was described as a "slight niggle".

The 30-year-old made 28 appearances last term and his return may be well timed given the injury that left new signing Leny Yoro limping badly as he was substituted during the first-half of Sunday's defeat by Arsenal in Los Angeles.

United said on Sunday they were still assessing the extent of the problems for Yoro and striker Rasmus Hojlund, who was also forced off through injury.

After Manchester United 2-1 pre-season defeat by Arsenal, we asked you to have your say on the game.

Here are a selection of your responses:

Will: Injuries again. Unless we get more cover I'm already concerned for the season. You can't afford to fall behind even early in the season and these two injuries look serious. Don't know if it's bad luck, training methods or players not able to withstand the schedule, but we have to try and sort it or it's another long season ahead.

Peter: It's early days, but looks the same as last season. We need to win, this builds confidence and momentum. We have to play with style, fluidity and passion. Poor result.

Tom: Lots of good performances and passion in the first half. However, in the second half there was plenty of evidence of misdirected passes and sloppy play. It's a trait which, sadly, was far too evident last season and needs to be sharply rectified if the team is to improve their poor 2023-24 position. Get a grip coaches.

Mrrostrevor: The usual menu of nothingness from a Ten Hag team. Again, no structure or perceived idea of a game plan. United should have taken their chance and got rid of him and finally ended this nonsense. A fresh start is needed. Now we're going to have to wait for his dismissal before this can happen.

Paris St-Germain have an agreement in principle with 24-year-old English forward Jadon Sancho, but they must meet Manchester United's asking price of about £50m. (Sports Zone - in French), external

United could target one of 26-year-old French right-back Nordi Mukiele, 23-year-old Uruguay midfielder Manuel Ugarte or 29-year-old Slovakia centre-back Milan Skriniar in a potential swap deal for Sancho. (Express), external

West Ham have opened negotiations over a deal to sign English right-back Aaron Wan-Bissaka from Manchester United, who value the 26-year-old in excess of £15m. (Sky Sports), external

Manchester United have agreed a fee of between £15m-20m to sign Morocco right-back Noussair Mazraoui from Bayern Munich but need to offload Wan-Bissaka first. (Guardian), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Monday's full gossip column

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Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag says they have to be "positive" as they wait for news on injuries to Rasmus Hojlund and Leny Yoro.

Striker Hojlund scored after 10 minutes in United's 2-1 defeat by Arsenal at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles.

The Denmark international seemed to experience a muscle injury after 15 minutes that meant he could not continue.

£52m new signing Yoro's exit was equally innocuous. The 18-year-old defender, who only joined United from Lille 10 days ago, went down and needed lengthy treatment, before he too called it a day.

"Of course it is too short [to know about their injuries] and we have to wait over 24 hours, then we will hopefully know more," Ten Hag said after the match.

"We were careful especially with Leny [Yoro] as he only did 50 per cent of the [training] sessions.

"He has to come up but let's be positive and see what comes out."

Despite the Red Devils' bright start, Gunners forward Gabriel Jesus levelled with a close range finish after 25 minutes, which Ten Hag was certain should have been disallowed for offside.

Substitute Gabriel Martinelli then cut inside 17-year-old rookie full-back James Scanlon to score the winner.

"I think [the game] was a very good level for the third week of pre-season, from both sides, but in the first half I thought we were the better team," added Ten Hag.

"We scored a very good goal, a very good ball in behind from [Marcus] Rashford and then [Rasmus] Hojlund with a very good move and a finish, I was very pleased. We also created some more good chances and we then conceded the goal which was offside."

Manchester United striker Rasmus Hojlund and £52m new signing Leny Yoro both suffered first-half injuries as the Red Devils lost their opening US tour game against Premier League rivals Arsenal 2-1 in Los Angeles.

Hojlund had given his side a 10th-minute lead before seeming to experience a muscle injury after 15 minutes.

Gunners forward Gabriel Jesus levelled with a close range finish after 25 minutes, before substitute Gabriel Martinelli cut inside 17-year-old rookie full-back James Scanlon to score the winner.

United did triumph in a pre-arranged penalty shoot-out that followed, with Jadon Sancho scoring the decisive spot-kick to seal a 4-3 win.

Arsenal fans, let us know your thoughts, external

What did you make of the display, United fans?, external

David Lockwood
BBC Sport Editorial Sustainability Lead

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Los Angeles or Chesterfield? San Diego or Salford?

The pre-season destinations of 20 Premier League clubs may be varied, but the issue remains the same - the impact of so many flights.

Half (10) of the clubs have flown to the United States for friendlies; three have travelled to the Far East and the rest are in Europe and the UK.

Manchester United's pre-season schedule see them flying almost 13,000 miles playing fixtures in Norway, Scotland, and across the US. Chelsea and Tottenham are also expected to fly in excess of 12,000 miles.

In contrast, Everton will fly the least, with just one fixture outside the UK in the Republic of Ireland.

Spurs and Newcastle also played an exhibition fixture in May - three days after the season finished - for which they both flew to Melbourne, Australia, a game Alan Shearer described as “madness”. Add in those air miles and both teams will have travelled in excess of 30,000 air miles in the close-season, equivalent to more than once around the globe, to play in non-competitive matches.

Newcastle and Spurs both have a target to be Net Zero by 2030, while Manchester United and Chelsea are in process of establishing an emissions reduction plan.

Net Zero requires the reduction and removal of all 'non-essential emissions' - so are these games essential?

Wycombe's David Wheeler is a leading sustainability campaigner in football and told BBC Sport: "These games are only necessary in the sense that the clubs want to make more money and grow their fan base".

He added: "The vast majority of players don't want to be away from their families, they don't want to be travelling around the world after a full slog of a season. They're overworked and injuries have gone through the roof, so there is a synergy between player welfare and planetary welfare."

An estimated travelling group of 30 flying 12,864 air miles business class generates around 200 tonnes of CO2 - the equivalent of 500,000 miles driven by an average petrol car, or the entire annual emissions for a year of 16 people in the UK.

Tottenham said it is "committed to minimising its environmental impact" in all its operations, "which will take time and effort". The club says it "ensures" all teams travel "as sustainably as possible throughout the season". It "measures, manages and reports on travel emissions" and will offsets "where possible."

Read more about the Premier League's pre-season air miles here

Simon Stone in Los Angeles
Chief football news reporter

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Manchester United goalkeeper Andre Onana believes the experiences of last season will ensure he does better in the new campaign.

Onana’s debut campaign after completing a £47.2m move from Inter Milan last summer was scarred by mistakes.

They proved costly as United exited the Champions League at the group stage and raised questions of manager Erik ten Hag, who had released four-time club player of the year David de Gea in order to bring the Cameroon international to the club.

Onana improved after the African Cup of Nations, although he was blamed by some for what proved to be Manchester City’s consolation goal in the FA Cup final last May.

“Last year will help, 100%,” said the 28-year-old from United's pre-season training camp in the United States. “When you move to a new country some people need time to feel good and play good.

“Mistakes are part of life. Who doesn’t make mistakes? I am old enough to accept this kind of responsibility.

“This club is one of the biggest in the world and you need a lot of personality and character to play here and that is what you have to show on the pitch.”

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Erik ten Hag has backed Mason Mount and Marcus Rashford to deliver in the new campaign.

Both came under fire in a challenging 2023-24 season as United struggled in the Premier League.

Rashford scored eight goals in all competitions last season compared to 30 in the 2022-23 campaign.

"Rashford can only improve himself, he is capable, he scores so many goals and at a relatively young age, so many goals, so he is capable of it," Ten Hag told media on Manchester United's US tour.

"I am confident and have 100% belief he can do the same as two years ago."

Mount meanwhile found the net once in 20 outings in all competitions in a first season at the club which proved to be blighted by injuries.

Ten Hag added: "You can't judge a season because he was injured, so don't judge him because he was injured but when he is fit he will be a very good player and in a squad you need certain types, you need team players, individuals, and match fit players. He is one of the players and I'm sure he will help the team."

Simon Stone in Los Angeles
Chief football news reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Erik ten Hag wants Manchester United to continue the search for new players until the transfer window closes.

United have already committed £90m on young defender Leny Yoro and forward Joshua Zirkzee.

However, they have had two bids for Everton’s England international Jarrad Branthwaite turned down and they have also been negotiating with Bayern Munich for Matthijs de Ligt, who captained Ten Hag’s Ajax team that reached the Champions League semi-final.

“We work continually,” said Ten Hag.

“It’s good thing we already signed two players, but a club like Manchester United needs to look if there are opportunities to be better and there is time until 31st August.”

Simon Stone in Los Angeles
Chief football news reporter

Image source, Getty Images

There was a show of strength from Manchester United’s hierarchy at the opening training session at UCLA on Friday.

Club director Sir Dave Brailsford was present, along with sporting director Dan Ashworth and technical director Jason Wilcox.

They had a group chat with manager Erik ten Hag at one point.

One other familiar face was Ruud van Nistelrooy, who has returned to the club as assistant manager, 18 years after his stint as a player ended, with the Dutchman scoring 150 goals in five seasons.

Van Nistelrooy has been out of the game since leaving PSV Eindhoven in 2023 and was speaking to a couple of clubs, including Burnley, about becoming their manager.

However, when Ten Hag got in touch, he felt he had to accept and Van Nistelrooy has no issues working for a boss rather than being one.

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Manchester United have announced Andreas Georgson has joined the club as a first-team coach.

Georgson, 42, moves from Norwegian side Lillestrom, where he has been head coach since January.

He has previously worked at Brentford, Arsenal and Southampton.

His arrival follows that of Rene Hake and Ruud van Nistelrooy, who joined Erik ten Hag's coaching team earlier in July.

United have also moved to appoint Jelle ten Rouwelaar as a goalkeeping coach.

Georgson will work alongside first team coaches Steve McClaren and Darren Fletcher.

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Our chief football news reporter Simon Stone is following United in the United States on their pre-season tour and he has been answering more of your questions.

Here is the final part:

Russ asked: I haven't seen anything about Marcus Rashford. Either I'm not looking hard enough or there's not much for the media to report. Do the club want him, does he want to stay and is there any transfer interest?

Simon answered: I get the strong sense Rashford is trying to keep his head down and work extra hard to rediscover the form that made him so lethal two seasons ago. There has tended to be a lot of noise around Rashford but that has gone quiet. This is not a bad thing.

The rights and wrongs of his Euros omission can be debated - so can his general fitness last season, when injuries were a factor in his performance. But the reality is his output simply was not good enough and he knows it. That has to change. Given his contract, I can't see a move as a realistic way forward and he has always spoken of his love for Manchester United. He needs a reset in terms of his form.

Chris asked: I'm quietly impressed with Ineos' transfer dealings so far this season and I'm optimistically looking forward to the next five years. Am I naive?

Simon answered: I wouldn't say naive, Chris, I would say you are glass-half-full kind of guy. I would say Leny Yoro looks an extremely good signing and Joshua Zirkzee should be a positive addition in attacking ranks. The Mason Greenwood situation needed resolving and the outcome is the best one, even though some may argue otherwise. Donny van de Beek clearly had no future at the club and while Willy Kambwala did show promise last season, with PSR rules as they are, it makes sense to cash in.

My concern is that a number of players United could probably do without are on huge contracts and shifting them will not be easy. The secondary issue is I could offer a long list of signings in the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era who promised lots and delivered little, either because they were over-hyped, didn't fit into the system, didn't fit into the club, got injured - or a combination of some or all of these. The transfers do look good. But I will reserve judgement until the meaningful games start.

Simon Stone
Chief football news reporter

Image source, Getty Images

There was a sign of how Manchester United has changed on their first day of training at the UCLA complex in Los Angeles.

Co-chair Avie Glazer was present as normal on United tours.

However, he was joined with board representative Sir Dave Brailsford, sporting director Dan Ashworth and technical director Jason Wilcox.

It is a huge change from 12 months ago, when United trained in New Jersey and San Diego and the club was still in the middle of its strategic review.

The key now is to change fortunes on the pitch as well as off it.

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We asked you for your questions to put to Simon Stone, our chief football news reporter who is on tour with Manchester United.

Here's the latest selection:

Nigel asked: Do you think Bruno Fernandes is an effective captain and leader of the team, or should United appoint someone who is perhaps less emotional, particularly when things are not going to plan, and a real leader? I am not sure who - any ideas?

Simon answered: There are a significant points here that go right to the heart of the matter. First, Erik ten Hag feels he is a real leader. He may be emotional but he is the player I see rising to the challenge more often than anyone else. In that sense, Fernandes leads by example, which is a reason why he would be the captain.

The secondary point - as you make - is who else? It has to be someone who plays every week, that you could see as being an integral part of the club going forward. The candidates are not obvious. Kobbie Mainoo is clearly far too young, Luke Shaw is not really a captain and Lisandro Martinez has not been at the club for very long.

The additional point is if you take the role off Fernandes, he is probably not going to react well, which would place his future at the club in doubt. On balance, I would stick with him.

Sam asked: What is happening with the Matthijs De Ligt and Jarrad Branthwaite transfers?

Simon answered: We are in a holding pattern. United are yet to hit the figure Everton are demanding for Branthwaite - there was a sense earlier in the summer that the Merseyside club had to sell, but evidently, for that player specifically, that was not the case.

De Ligt has more experience and would presumably have a more senior role in Ten Hag's squad given how well he knows the central defender. But Bayern Munich are not making it easy and United will not get him on the cheap. It might be a late one in the window if either man ends up being signed.

Tony asked: Is everyone fit and available for the coming season?

Simon answered: Clearly Tyrrell Malacia isn't, otherwise he would be here. I guess the main doubt is how Shaw has come through the Euros. After spending so long last season without a left-back, Ten Hag needs to have one who is fully fit from day one.

Simon Stone
Chief football news reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Our chief football news reporter Simon Stone is following Manchester United in the United States on their pre-season tour and he has been answering your questions.

Here is a selection:

James asked: Has Amad Diallo made a strong case to be first-choice right winger this season?

Simon answered: He has made a case, James. But I am not sure it is a strong one. I have seen flashes - but flashes are not enough. He has to deliver on a consistent basis, both within games and from match to match.

I am not comparing him with Antony – if there is a choice between the two I would probably go for Diallo. However, if Manchester United are to get to a point where they are really challenging for the biggest honours, I am not convinced Diallo is a regular starter.

Dave asked: There are a lot of young players coming through the ranks now, which has always been the lifeblood of the club. Do you think players like Harry Amass, Toby Collyer and David Healey will get a realistic amount of game time this season? And will this be a defining season for Diallo?

Simon answered: There are some young players who come into a team and through their performances make a case for continued inclusion that is so strong they cannot be left out. Marcus Rashford did it when he came through and Kobbie Mainoo did the same last season - albeit I did think there was a point where he needed a rest. But for the majority of youngsters, the path to the first team - at United or elsewhere - is not as straightforward.

Players who excel in pre-season may be determining where they go on loan, or if they can be part of the first-team squad and dip in and out to gain experience. I think the three you talk about - and I would include Jack Fletcher and Radek Vitek in this group - have a lot of promise. Generally, I think they would be better getting a loan where they are going to play.

At the moment, it feels United are trying to recruit experienced players in their prime. That will limit opportunity even further. On Diallo, it really is up to him. But yes, I do think it will be defining in terms of his United career.

Simon Stone
Chief football news reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Manchester United defender Harry Maguire says missing out on the two career highlights of playing in the FA Cup final and representing England at Euro 2024 was "tough" and " really frustrating".

Maguire’s first reaction when he sustained the training injury was that it would be "tight" to recover in time for the final against Manchester City at Wembley four weeks later, but a setback in the week of the game, which United memorably won 2-1, ended his hopes.

Another setback on England duty led to Gareth Southgate leaving him out of his European Championship squad because he could not risk taking Maguire and United team-mate Luke Shaw to Germany when neither were fully fit.

"No I didn’t," said Maguire when asked by BBC Sport if he thought he would miss both showpiece events.

"It was always going to be tight for the cup final but I still believed I would be available. But when I had a setback in cup final week I thought: 'I will be fine for the Euros.' But then I went away with England and had another setback.

"It has been really frustrating, working all season to get myself mentally and physically at the top of my game and be in a position to feel I could really make a difference for Manchester United and my country. To miss out was tough."

Maguire earned praise last season for refusing to quit United when he was stripped of the captaincy by manager Erik ten Hag and at times dropped down to fifth-choice central defender.

He made 31 appearances, despite not starting a Premier League game until October.

Even with a year left on his contract, the former Leicester defender is ready for a renewed challenge for his first-team slot.

"There was a lot of uncertainty over my future last year but I sat down with the manager, he told me where I was at, said he believed in me and I would get chances," said Maguire.

"I proved last season when I got the chances I took them really well."

United’s FA Cup final victory probably saved Ten Hag's job but Maguire knows the eighth-placed Premier League finish was not good enough.

With a new boardroom structure in place, the 31-year-old expects improvement but is realistic about how immediate it might be.

"I don't think we will go from finishing eighth in the league to winning all the trophies overnight," he added.

"But I do think we are moving in the right direction now and the decisions that have been made at the top will help this club get back to where it should be."