The start of Manchester United’s journey in 2024/25 is just around the corner, with players set to return for pre-season.
Manchester United players are due back at Carrington on Monday to begin the start of their pre-season.
The first pre-season match is a week away, with the first days back set to be dedicated to slowly building up fitness and re-introducing the squad to Erik ten Hag’s vision for next season.
Ahead of pre-season beginning, we have taken a look at four players to watch out for, with very different reasons…
Man Utd’s biggest mystery
The biggest mystery at Manchester United lies over a player who did not play a single minute last season, or feature in any matchday squad.
Tyrell Malacia actually appeared at Carrington on the first day of last pre-season, and was then never seen again.
The Dutchman experienced setback after setback last season and this is a fresh start for him. Will he be ready?
It would be smart to treat Malacia carefully, but it would be great if he is able to play some games and even get 90 minutes under his belt at some stage.
United may still need a new left-back, especially with Luke Shaw’s question marks, but Malacia will have a chance to re-stake his own claim.
Most exciting Man Utd player
Manchester United benefitted from Amad Diallo beginning to make an impact at the end of last season.
The Ivorian was this week picked out as one of the most underrated players in the Premier League, a tribute to his high potential, which he is looking to start making good on.
Amad is an exciting player at his core. He can beat players, he can provide defence splitting passes, and he can score spectacular goals.
So far we have just scratched the surface. Now we want to see him really kick on. With Alejandro Garnacho and Bruno Fernandes set to return late due to international involvement, Amad has a real chance to step up and demonstrate his importance to the team.
He seems poised to challenge for a regular spot and this pre-season he continue where he left off.
Man Utd’s comeback player
Last summer’s big new signing was Mason Mount, who started the first game of last season wearing the number seven shirt.
Mount never quite looked comfortable, and had a difficult season, interrupted multiple times by injuries.
This is a fresh start for Mount, who missed out on the FA Cup Final squad due to his most recent injury problem.
Now fit again, the £55 million signing must demonstrate that he can stay fit, and that he can find a place in the team.
Where is his best position? Can he impact games? United need to start seeing this, while he has to also rebuild his confidence along with his fitness.
Breakout star to watch
While you could pick out a number of players here, we are going with the 250th academy graduate, Ethan Wheatley.
Wheatley has made three Premier League appearances, but these have totally just 10 minutes of playing time.
The young forward should be in line to get more substantial playing time in pre-season, to show what he can be capable of.
Wheatley’s chances are helped but he fact he plays at a position where Manchester United are light on numbers.
Rasmus Hojlund is the only senior striker, and the Dane may not even be back for the first week of pre-season due to a break following Euro 2024, giving Wheatley a real chance to star in United’s first game against Rosenborg.
| Goals under-18s | Assists under-18s | Goals under-21s | Assists under-21s | Total Goals | Total Assists | Total Goal contributions | |
| Ethan Wheatley 2023/24 | 18 | 3 | 5 | 2 | 23 | 5 | 28 |
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