Off the back of the worst season in the club’s modern history, Manchester United are jetting off to the Far East for two post-season fixtures.
It’s just what they needed!
Ruben Amorim’s side face off against ASEAN All-Stars and Hong Kong next week, with the manager confirming a 32-man travelling squad for the two fixtures. The tour arrives in the aftermath of a season in which players combined for 1,363 days out through injury, and there will be little room for respite with pre-season likely to get underway at Carrington well before they face Leeds United in a July friendly.
Their first post-season adventure of modern times merely extends what’s been a campaign of misery for the Red Devils, with Amorim unlikely to learn all that much before he begins streamlining his squad in preparation for 2025–26.
Here’s the Man Utd squad travelling to the Far East.
Man Utd Postseason Tour Squad
Which Man Utd Players Aren’t Included in Post-Season Tour Squad?
The majority of Amorim’s first-team squad is on the plane, including Alejandro Garnacho, who missed the final game of the season against Aston Villa after questioning the manager’s decision to play him for just 20 minutes in the Europa League final.
Amorim confirmed that Garnacho would be involved in the post-season tour before kick-off on Sunday, but the winger is expected to be sold this summer.
Andre Onana and Luke Shaw also didn’t feature against Villa but have been included in the manager’s squad. The injury Diogo Dalot sustained at the weekend hasn’t been enough to rule him out either.
Christian Eriksen and Victor Lindelöf aren’t travelling due to personal reasons, while Lisandro Martínez, Leny Yoro and Noussair Mazraoui are out injured. The Moroccan picked up a hamstring injury on Sunday.
Academy stars unfamiliar to the majority such as Dan Armer, Godwill Kukonki, Reece Munro, Tyler Fletcher, Jack Moorhouse, Jim Thwaites and Shea Lacey are also travelling with the first-team squad.
Why Are Man Utd Going on Post-Season Tour?
The club’s decision to play post-season fixtures has been widely criticised, with player burnout and unnecessary air miles among the points made against the tour.
Amorim described the trip as a “small sacrifice” and the Man Utd manager is well aware of the financial perks, adding that the “tour will help us also to maybe improve the team if we need”. It’s believed that the six-day trip will make the club around £8 million ($10 million).
Man Utd have a seismic global reach and they’re aiming to appease their huge support out in the Far East by organising these two fixtures. The club hasn’t visited Malaysia, where they’ll face the ASEAN All-Stars next Wednesday, since 2009 and Hong Kong in 12 years. United take on Hong Kong next Friday.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as The Man Utd Squad Travelling for 2024–25 Post-Season Tour.
