Manchester United’s first game of the pre-season is here, and after nearly two months of silence, their traveling squad has a few surprises.
Man Utd’s traveling squad for the Leeds game can’t be taken to derive too many final judgements, that will probably be left to the squad for the US tour.
Still, a few big revelations have already hinted that Ruben Amorim is in no mood to play around anymore, and he’s approaching this season with a real sense of clarity.
Here are five questions that will be on many Man Utd fans‘ minds after the announcement of the traveling squad to play against Leeds in Sweden.
Man Utd’s traveling squad:
Goalkeepers: Altay Bayindir, Tom Heaton, Dermot Mee
Defenders: Diogo Dalot, Noussair Mazraoui, Matthijs de Ligt, Harry Maguire, Patrick Chinazaekpere Dorgu, Leny Yoro, Luke Shaw, Ayden Heaven, Diego Leon, Tyler Fredricson, Reece Munro, Godwill Kukonki
Midfielders: Mason Mount, Bruno Fernandes, Casemiro, Manuel Ugarte, Kobbie Mainoo, Jack Fletcher, Sekou Kone, Toby Collyer
Forwards: Rasmus Hojlund, Matheus Cunha, Amad, Chido Obi, Ethan Williams, Bendito Mantato
1 – Has Diego Leon ‘killed it’ before pre-season games?
Diego Leon made a bold promise before arriving at Man Utd that he would “kill it” in the pre-season and carve out a place for himself in the first-team setup straight away.
With the news that Harry Amass will go on loan, thereby excluding him from the traveling squad, the signs are that Leon has already “killed it”, to borrow his own words.
Next step will be to impress during the games, and then take it to competitive fixtures. But it’s an extremely positive start to life at Old Trafford for Leon.
2- What’s Ruben Amorim thinking between the posts?
Andre Onana’s injury was always going to present some uncomfortable questions for United’s goalkeeping situation, and Amorim’s first answer to it isn’t entirely convincing.
Altay Bayindir has proven himself to be worse than Onana, Tom Heaton showed that too in United’s post-season tour, and Dermot Mee is extremely far away from being anywhere near United’s goal.
Radek Vitek is a notable exclusion as he could have taken this chance to build on a successful loan at BW Linz, much like he did last pre-season.
Instead, Bayindir will be on judgement watch, Heaton is an ambassador more than a player, while Mee has no long-term prospects at United.
3- Has Bendito Mantato found a new role at Man Utd?
Bendito Mantato has been tipped for a breakthrough for a long time, despite being just 17, and that’s because of his precocious and versatile abilities.
As a left-footed player, he has been deployed as a right-winger for youth teams, but that’s not a position that exists in the senior setup.
Therefore, wing-back is seen as his ideal role, much like Amad, but United’s traveling squad lists him among the forwards instead.
United have many wing-back options, but their forward line is thin. Maybe Amorim saw that Mantato is not ready for the physical demands and defensive discipline of such a tactical role.
Either way, the position he plays against Leeds just became extremely interesting to watch.
4- The Joshua Zirkzee question
Zirkzee faces a crucial pre-season, and his partnership with Mbeumo and Cunha is exciting on paper, so his absence from the squad is a worry.
Zirkzee has stayed back due to a minor issue, but he’ll be back for the USA tour. If there’s one player who Man Utd can absolutely not afford to lose to injury issues, it’s Zirkzee.
Not a positive start, but it might give Ethan Williams a chance to build on his successful loan.
5- Who will be a casualty in Man Utd defence?
If the attacking ranks are thin, the situation is the polar opposite in defence, where United have an embarrassment of riches.
Amass has already been excluded, but Amorim has plenty of options in the centre of defence as well.
Last season, injuries to De Ligt, Heaven, Yoro, Shaw, and Dalot at various points allowed minutes to be rotated, but with no European competitions, those defensive numbers will be trimmed further.
From that traveling squad, it’s a safe bet that Kukonki will be with the U21s, while Munro could look at a loan.
Tyler Fredricson is Amorim’s favourite but he’s up against the likes of Maguire, De Ligt, Heaven, Yoro, Shaw, and potentially Mazraoui for a spot in the back three. The pre-season might seal the fate of a few youngsters, either permanently or on loan.
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