July 24th 2024.
Last summer, Kobbie Mainoo was unfortunately sidelined for four months due to an injury. Learning from their mistakes, Manchester United has made some changes to their pre-season tour plans to prevent a similar situation from occurring this year. Under the leadership of Erik ten Hag, the team will return to the United States for their pre-season preparations, with matches scheduled against top clubs such as Arsenal, Real Betis, and Liverpool in Los Angeles, San Diego, and South Carolina, respectively.
During their pre-season tour last year, Manchester United traveled over 15,000 air miles, visiting Oslo, Edinburgh, New Jersey, Houston, San Diego, and Las Vegas. This grueling schedule took a toll on the players, with midfielder Christian Eriksen admitting that there were too many games and too much traveling. Unfortunately, this heavy workload resulted in Mainoo sustaining an ankle injury during their match against Real Madrid in Houston. As a result, Mainoo's debut for the first team was delayed until November, and he has been a regular starter ever since.
Last season, ten Hag faced numerous injury problems, especially in the defense. He had to rely on 13 different combinations of center-backs and was also without a recognized left-back for a significant part of the campaign. While the pre-season tour was not solely to blame for these fitness issues, Manchester United has acknowledged the need to give their players more time for rest and recovery. According to reports, the team has reduced the amount of traveling this summer, with only six pre-season games scheduled, including the highly anticipated Community Shield clash against Manchester City on August 10th.
Among the players making the trip to the US is the club's new signing, Leny Yoro, who joined for a whopping £52 million. However, striker Joshua Zirkzee is still on his summer break and will not be joining the team. Mainoo, Luke Shaw, Lisandro Martinez, Alejandro Garnacho, and Facundo Pellsistri will also miss the tour as they represented their nations in the later stages of the European Championship and Copa America. Additionally, left-back Tyrell Malacia will not be traveling with the team as he is still recovering from a knee injury that kept him out for the entire 2023-24 season. He will remain in Manchester for further treatment.
With the new season fast approaching, Manchester United is determined to have their players in top shape. By reducing the amount of travel and giving their players more time to rest and recover, they hope to avoid any major injury setbacks. Fans can look forward to an exciting pre-season tour and a highly anticipated Community Shield clash against their rivals, Manchester City. Stay tuned for more updates and analysis on all things Manchester United.
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