Believe it or not, the 2022/23 European football season is just around the corner. Some of the biggest teams in world football have already returned to the training track to prepare for the upcoming season. Their superstar players are trickling in slowly, returning from lavish holidays that we mere mortals can only dream of.
Two giants of the game, Liverpool and Manchester United, kick-off their preparations against each other. The rivals will meet in a friendly match on July 12th in Thailand. Despite it being a blatant money grab from both sides, it hasn’t dampened the anticipation.
Fans of both sides are looking forward to getting their first look at the 2022/23 version of their side.
Manchester United was the first to arrive. The big story upon arrival of the Red Devils was the absence of global footballing icon Cristiano Ronaldo. The story surrounding the Portuguese superstar’s future will drag on throughout the summer. It augurs poorly for the new man in the hot seat, Erik Ten Hag.
The last thing the Dutchman needs is a distraction of this magnitude as he attempts to rebuild Manchester United.
MANCHESTER UNITED PRE-SEASON TOUR SQUAD
Goalkeepers: David de Gea, Tom Heaton, Nathan Bishop, Matej Kovar
Defenders: Eric Bailly, Ethan Laird, Axel Tuanzebe, Raphael Varane, Diogo Dalot, Harry Maguire, Alex Telles, Victor Lindelof, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Ethan Laird, Luke Shaw, Tyrell Malacia
Midfielders: Amad Diallo, Donny van de Beek, Scott McTominay, Hannibal Mejbri, Facundo Pellistri, Charlie Savage, Bruno Fernandes, Fred, James Garner, Zidane Iqbal
Attackers: Jadon Sancho, Anthony Elanga, Alejandro Garnacho, Tahith Chong, Marcus Rashford, Anthony Martial
Wondering when these two behemoths face off in their opening pre-season friendly? We have you covered.
Who? Liverpool vs Manchester United
Where? Rajamangala Stadium, Thailand
When? Tuesday, July 12 4 pm (Thailand Time)
United’s arch-rival Liverpool has had a much more organized transfer window. They lost a true global superstar in Sadio Mane. The Reds didn’t rest on their laurels, though, as they secured a replacement in the form of Uruguayan Darwin Nunez.
Whether Nunez will reach the same levels as the man who preceded him remains to be seen. He will carry the expectations of the Liverpool faithful. He will not do it alone, however. The loss of Sadio Mane was offset by Mohamed Salah signing a new deal at Anfield. The terms of the Egyptian King’s new deal see him become the highest-paid Liverpool player in history. It also extends his stay on Merseyside by another three years.
Salah won’t take part in the friendly against Manchester United in Thailand. He is not due to report for training until July 9, just a couple of days before the match.
LIVERPOOL PRE-SEASON TOUR SQUAD
Goalkeepers: Alisson Becker, Adrian, Harvey Davies, Fabian Mrozek
Defenders: Virgil Van Dijk, Ibrahima Konate, Joel Matip, Joe Gomez, Nat Phillips, Rhys Williams, Sepp Van den Berg, Stefan Bajcetic, Andy Robertson, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Kostas Tsimikas, Luke Chambers, James Norris
Midfielders: Thiago Alcantara, Jordan Henderson, Fabinho, James Milner, Naby Keita, Curtis Jones, Harvey Elliott, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Tyer Morton, Leighton Clarkson, Melkamu Frauendorf, Isaac Mabaya, Thomas Hill
Forwards: Luis Diaz, Darwin Nunez, Roberto Firmino, Mo Salah, Diogo Jota, Fabio Carvalho, Bobby Clark
Stuart Kavanagh is a sports journalist from Melbourne, Australia. Along with being the owner of the sports and entertainment website thepyrrhic.com, he is the co-host of the ‘After Extra Time’ podcast. Football mad, he is always down for debate and discussion at @stueyissickofit on Twitter.