Ruben Neves and Bruno Guimaraes have just given Manchester United a very positive sign over returning World Cup stars

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Manchester United’s 25-man squad for the Burnley game includes several returning World Cup stars.

These include Bruno Fernandes, Casemiro, Antony, Fred, Luke Shaw, Harry Maguire and Marcus Rashford.

But after a long tournament in Qatar, which will have tested the players mentally as well as physically

So how many of them will actually be ready to play for Manchester United in tonight’s match?

READ: Predicted Manchester United line-up v Burnley

A positive sign over World Cup stars

There were Carabao Cup ties taking place last night too. Leicester beat MK Dons, Newcastle beat Bournemouth, Southampton beat Lincoln City, and Wolves defeated Gillingham.

Wolves’ tie was particularly interesting, owing to the role of Ruben Neves.

Neves played five matches for Portugal at the 2022 World Cup, starting four, playing a total of 271 minutes with his side eliminated in the quarter-finals.

Last night for Wolves, with one fewer day’s rest than Manchester United’s returning quarter-finalists, he played all 90 minutes.

This is a very good sign for Manchester United, regarding the availability of the stars for tonight’s Carabao Cup tie.

Newcastle selected Bruno Guimaraes for 88 minutes of their match. He had a lesser role at the World Cup, playing only 67 minutes – but this was a good sign all the same.

While it may seem like a fast turnaround, the players have had vastly more rest than they normally would after a typical international break.

One of them, Tyrell Malacia, did not play a single minute in Qatar and should be particularly fresh and ready to go.

While we expect Erik ten Hag to show some caution in areas where he has options, perhaps leaving Bruno Fernandes, Antony and Marcus Rashford as impact substitutes, in others, he will have to lean on his World Cup stars.

One of these positions is at centre-back, with Harry Maguire needed alongside Victor Lindelof.

United will likely require him for the full 90, while Christian Eriksen could play a key role in midifeld. Don’t be surprised to see Fred or Casemiro in action either.

Last night’s usage of Neves and Guimaraes for their clubs shows Manchester United’s stars can expect to feature right away – hopefully also with winning results.