Manchester United’s pre-season preparations accelerated a level on Thursday with eight first-team players returning for training.
On Monday, pre-season 2025 officially began, but on Thursday, things have stepped up a level.
Manchester United have a lot of work to do this summer in order to be ready for the new Premier League season. United welcomed back 15 senior players earlier this week, and among them were new signings Diego Leon and Matheus Cunha.
Cunha has already caught the eye with his training performances this week for United, in particular, his finishing impressed.
Another player to impress was Joshua Zirkzee who showcased excellent finishing in front of goal after working on his shooting over the summer.
But now, these players have been joined by the rest of the first team squad.
Eight Manchester United players return to Carrington
United have a staggered return list this summer, with those who played international football in June handed an additional few days before being expected to report back on Thursday.
There were several key players expected to return for United on Thursday, and now the official list of eight names who reported to Carrington has been shared.
- Altay Bayindir
- Casemiro
- Diogo Dalot
- Patrick Dorgu
- Bruno Fernandes
- Rasmus Hojlund
- Chido Obi
- Manuel Ugarte
Of those to return, arguably half are guaranteed to be starters right now based on the current squad.
Seeing Obi in particular back is an exciting sight, as he is set for a huge 2025-26, having broken into the first team last season and scoring twice on the post-season tour.
Obi was joined at the breakfast table by Hojlund, with the pair set to compete this summer to be first-choice number nine.
Club captain Fernandes is also back after all the speculation over his future earlier in the transfer window. Meanwhile, despite fears he was absent, Leny Yoro was spotted in the fitness session.
Despite all the new faces, there were still some significant absentees.
Harry Maguire remains absent from Manchester United’s pre-season
While United’s first team squad is now almost at full complement, there are still two first-team names missing from the sessions at Carrington.
Lisandro Martinez is still recovering from his ACL injury and isn’t expected back until after the season starts at the very earliest.
However, there is another slightly more confusing absentee in the form of Harry Maguire.
Maguire was not pictured in the session, but is not expected to be injured, which makes it intriguing as to the reason behind the absence.
It could be as simple as both being handed extra leave, and we look forward to finding out the reasons.
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