Manchester United are not in action for another ten days, with many of Michael Carrick's squad away on international duty. A total of 13 senior players were initially selected, with Joshua Zirkzee and Leny Yoro receiving late call-ups for the Netherlands and France respectively, though some have since withdrawn through injury.
Marcus Rashford, Kobbie Mainoo, Karl Darlow and Benjamin Sesko did not report for their national teams, while Patrick Dorgu returned after sustaining a hamstring injury playing for Denmark. Bruno Fernandes has picked up a knock but remained with Portugal.
Back in Manchester, former Arsenal star Patrick Vieira's admission about a secret meeting with legendary ex-United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has made a significant impact.
Vieira's secret meeting with Ferguson
Current Senegal head coach Vieira has admitted he once held a clandestine meeting with Ferguson, who sought to bring him to Old Trafford. The Frenchman flourished for Arsenal between 1996 and 2005, winning three Premier League titles and four FA Cups.
During that era, United and Arsenal clashed as fierce rivals, with Vieira developing a well-documented feud with Roy Keane. However, he has now claimed Ferguson was keen to pair him alongside Keane and that he held talks with the Scot over a potential move. The exact timing remains unclear, though United were linked with Vieira in 2003.
"I had an opportunity to move to Manchester United," Vieira told Sky Sports. "I had a meeting with Sir Alex Ferguson. Full respect, I couldn't say no to meeting him because he was an important figure in the Premier League.
"We met and we talked and he explained to me his vision that he had for Manchester United and the team that he wanted to build. He wanted to play me with Keane, [Ryan] Giggs on the left-hand side, David Beckham on the right-hand side and [Paul] Scholes to play behind [Ruud] van Nistelrooy, so it wasn't a bad team.
"But I couldn't leave Arsenal, I was too happy there and we were on the way of building something quite really special for the club and that's the way it was. I felt the love from the club, from the players and from the fans. Everything was there for me to grow up as a player and to achieve what I wanted to."
Gabriel's social media U-turn
Elsewhere, JJ Gabriel has reversed his social media wipe. The 15-year-old, among United's most exciting young players, cleared his Instagram profile in early September, shortly after reports emerged that he wished to leave the club.
United have denied cancelling his registration, his only route to an immediate exit as he is too young to sign a scholarship or professional deal. When he turns 16 on October 6, United would be powerless and he could join another European club if he secured the necessary documentation. Barcelona and Real Madrid are among the reported interested parties.
While Gabriel does not seem to have relented, he has reinstated some posts to his Instagram account after removing everything. Two uploads have reappeared on the profile: an image of Gabriel after penning a long-term deal with Nike in late 2025, and another showing him collecting the Under-18 Premier League Player of the Season Award for 2025/26 alongside Alan Shearer and his trophy.
Instagram allows users to archive posts and restore them at any time, and users can also retrieve deleted material within 30 days of deletion, though it remains unclear which method Gabriel employed.
