Manchester United have flown to Thailand, to begin their preseason exhibition tour. And we have same news items here, in terms of who was and who wasn’t included the 31-man traveling squad.
As you know, Cristiano Ronaldo will miss the tour. He’s holding out, amid his desire to leave the club, and it is looking more and more like he’ll get his wish to transfer out. Brandon Williams and Phil Jones (who will always be on this club, until the end of time) were also not included.
According to the Manchester Evening News: Williams has a ‘small issue’ and Jones is following a tailored fitness programme to prepare for the new season.
Some notable inclusions, among youngsters trying to make their mark in the team, include: Hannibal Mejbri, Alejandro Garnacho, Zidane Iqbal, Charlie Savage and Ethan Laird.
United Summer Preseason Tour Schedule
12 July v Liverpool (Rajamangala Stadium, Bangkok)
15 July v Melbourne Victory (MCG, Melbourne)
19 July v Crystal Palace (MCG, Melbourne)
23 July v Aston Villa (Optus Stadium, Perth)
30 July v Atletico Madrid (Ullevaal Stadium, Oslo)
31 July v Rayo Vallecano (Old Trafford)
Also, due to unpopular demand, Anthony Martial is back. According to reports earlier this transfer window, United were willing to part with him, but just couldn’t find a suitable taker. This may be a blessing in disguise as United could be on the verge of finding themselves now woefully thin in attack.
This summer has seen more attackers leave/likely to leave than come in, so as Martial returns from his loan at Sevilla, he’ll have a chance to restart and rejuvenate his career.
Bruno: “Anthony Martial is back. He will be back scoring goals.”
Martial: “Give me some assists, please.”
?
? @ManUtd pic.twitter.com/syhTORlQlO
— Utd District (@UtdDistrict) July 9, 2022
At least one person, United midfielder Bruno Fernandes, is excited about Anthony Martial coming back, as you can see from the video above.
Paul M. Banks is the owner/manager of The Bank (TheSportsBank.Net) and author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” as well as “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He has regularly appeared in WGN, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune, and he co-hosts the After Extra Time podcast, part of Edge of the Crowd Network. Follow him and the website on Twitter and Instagram.