We now know exactly when Manchester United’s England internationals, Marcus Rashford and Kobbie Mainoo, will be rejoining the squad for the preseason. According to a report in The Athletic, both Mainoo and Rashford are on holiday for three weeks, and once that concludes, they’ll rejoin the Red Devils in Dublin, when the side squares off against Leeds United on August 12.
With Rashford, this is obviously huge news, because this is clearly another step in the direction towards his eventual re-integration into the team.
Manchester United Preseason Tour 2026
Friendly #2 vs. Rosenborg
Kickoff: Friday, July 24, 2026
Venue: Lerkendal Stadion, Trondheim, Norway
Manchester United Preview Content: Team News Predicted Starting XI Detailed Injury List
Man United Team News
Now anything can happen between now and when the summer transfer window closes on September 1, so we’ll see. The transfer market does what it does, but the expectation seems to be that he’s staying.
As for Mainoo, we have news regarding him, as well.
Apparently, he has been dealing with a back injury, or at least that is the party line about his situation.
Mainoo didn’t play a single minute at the World Cup, despite England’s progressing all the way to the semi-finals, and winning the third place game.
That’s basically inexplicable and unjustifiable. And if Mainoo really was just too injured for Thomas Tuchel to utilize, then why wasn’t he replaced in the Three Lions squad by call-up?
Also missing out on this friendly, due to World Cup involvement, Lisandro Martinez (Argentina), Senne Lammens (Belgium), Noussair Mazraoui (Morocco), Amad (Ivory Coast), Matheus Cunha (Brazil), Altay Bayindir (Turkey) and Tyler Fletcher (Scotland).
Injury wise, Benjamin Sesko (more on his situation here) and Karl Darlow did not make the trip to Norway with the rest of the squad. Both stayed back at Carrington to work on their recoveries towards full fitness. Matthijs de Ligt (back problems) remains sidelined, as a longer-term injury absentee.
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network, Ratings and RG. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes and the Washington Post.