Manchester United were beaten 1-0 by Wrexham in their first game of the 2026 pre-season tour.
Playing on Finnish soil for the first time in 41 years, Manchester United suffered a 1-0 defeat against Championship outfit Wrexham.
Michael Carrick named two different line-ups: one in the first half and a completely different XI for the second half. This meant the majority of players who travelled to Finland made an appearance.
Without further ado, here are the biggest winners from United’s first pre-season friendly of the summer.
What did YOU make of Andrey Santos’ pre-season debut for Man Utd vs Wrexham?
Santos played 45 minutes in the first half…
Andrey Santos
Making his first appearance for United just days after joining from Chelsea, Andrey Santos was deployed into a deep role.
It was a tidy showing from the Brazilian, partnered by Jack Fletcher, as he kept it simple in possession and hovered the defence like a protective shield.
Santos showed a degree of positional awareness at the very start to intercept a dangerous low cross into the box. He created three chances and completed the first half with a 93% pass success rate.
Furthermore, the 22-year-old wasn’t afraid to bark instructions at his new teammates.
Leny Yoro
With Harry Maguire and Ayden Heaven forming a pairing at centre-back, Leny Yoro played at right-back.
This was proof – if Carrick needed it – that Yoro is more than capable of fulfilling the role at full-back, even though it’s unlikely to become his primary position at this point.
Yoro enjoyed the licence he had to get forward, but Bryan Mbeumo’s rustiness on the right flank proved to be a hindrance for the French defender.
Tyler Fletcher
It was a good evening for the Fletcher household as both of Darren Fletcher’s twins made another appearance under Carrick.
Tyler Fletcher came on in the second half after returning from Scotland’s 2026 World Cup campaign. It came as an unforgettable moment as he took the armband from Maguire.
This suggests that Carrick thinks highly of Tyler, as well as Jack.
The Scotland international registered 41 touches and a 95% pass success rate in the middle of the pitch. He also managed eight passes into the final third during the second half.
Tyler Fletcher captained United’s XI in the second half vs Wrexham – Which young players caught your eye?
Who really impressed you?
Michael Carrick
Carrick is arguably the biggest winner, despite the result.
The priority in every pre-season friendly is to ensure it boosts the players’ fitness but that they also avoid injuries.
None of the United players appeared to pick up any knocks or niggles against Wrexham, which means the minutes should serve them all well as they prepare for the new season.
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