Manchester United begin pre-season preparations on Thursday, but that has not stopped as many as four players returning early to give themselves the best chance of hitting the ground running in 2026/27.
As we approach the final stages of the 2026 World Cup, excitement is building over the new Premier League campaign.
Manchester United finished third last term, securing qualification for the Champions League, but the Reds are expected to challenge for the major competitions in Michael Carrick’s first full season as head coach.
Carrick can take encouragement from the fact that several of his first-team players, who are not involved in the World Cup, returned to Carrington early ahead of the first pre-season training session.
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Benjamin Sesko and Mason Mount among quartet showing the right mentality at Man Utd
Most of the headlines surrounding United right now focus on transfers, which is understandable given the market is open.
Something United have worked hard on in recent years is background checks on each transfer target to ensure they don’t bring the wrong players into the dressing room.
Carrick will also continue to keep a close eye on his current players, demanding more from them to maintain the consistency they produced in the final five months of last season. That, ultimately, led to the former United midfielder being appointed head coach permanently.
On the latest Talk of the Devils podcast, Laurie Whitwell revealed that some of United’s non-World Cup players are already locked in, taking their summer training extra seriously ahead of pre-season.
Benjamin Sesko, Mason Mount, Ayden Heaven and Matthijs de Ligt were all named as players who have been regularly spotted at Carrington to work on their fitness this summer.
“I think some players have been in pretty regularly,” Whitwell said.
“You mentioned Sesko there. I’m told that he’s been very diligent with his appearances at Carrington. Showing a kind of eagerness to get going, perhaps born from missing the last bit of the season. I think also, anyway, the kind of mentality that he’s got.
“He’s been in. Mason Mount has been in, Ayden Heaven has been in, I think Matthijs De Ligt has been in as well, rehabbing from his injury.”
Sesko will be looking to build on the 12 goals (11 in the Premier League) he netted in his debut season by scoring more, while Heaven is pushing for more first-team opportunities.
Meanwhile, Mount and De Ligt need to avoid further injury setbacks, so it makes sense for both players to get additional help from United staff.
All four players named by Whitwell are showing an admirable eagerness to make the 2026/27 campaign a success, but only time will tell if they can prove themselves on the pitch.
This, of course, should not be taken as a dig at those who have yet to return to Carrington.
The majority of professional footballers at the top level work on fitness plans during the off-season. It’s also important to stress that they’re not actually due back until Thursday.
- ⚡️ NEWS IN BRIEF
- Benjamin Sesko, Mason Mount, Ayden Heaven and Matthijs de Ligt have trained regularly at Carrington throughout the summer
- Manchester United don’t officially return for pre-season until Thursday
- Michael Carrick must wait until later in the summer to have a full squad due to several stars having World Cup commitments
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Which Man Utd players are still at the World Cup?
Portugal’s defeat to Spain means Bruno Fernandes and Diogo Dalot’s World Cup has come to an end.
The same applies to Matheus Cunha as Brazil suffered a 2-1 defeat at the hands of Norway, who will take on England in the quarter-finals on Saturday night.
That means Marcus Rashford and Kobbie Mainoo have secured their place in the next round, along with Morocco’s Noussair Mazraoui.
Lisandro Martinez will be hoping to join them when Argentina face Egypt in the round of 16 tonight.
The sooner some of these players crash out of the World Cup, the quicker they will return for pre-season.
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