Michael Carrick has identified Mason Mount and Andrey Santos as standout performers during Manchester United's opening pre-season friendly, a 1-0 defeat to Championship side Wrexham in Helsinki on Tuesday.
Match Overview
Carrick fielded a strong starting eleven in the first half before making wholesale changes at the interval to give academy players valuable minutes. The only goal of the game came before the break, when Sam Smith was left unmarked at the back post to head Wrexham into the lead.
Despite the result, Carrick was not concerned with the performance, emphasizing that the primary objective was to build fitness ahead of the new season. Speaking to MUTV, he said: "As I said before the game, the boys have been back together for kind of a week properly, 10 days or so. It was about getting through today to be honest and looking for some positives, looking for some good things, knowing that it wasn't going to be perfect."
Carrick's Praise for Mount and Santos
Carrick highlighted the contributions of Mason Mount and Andrey Santos. "Mason did some really good things and connected really well, and you could see some positives there. I think top end of the pitch, those sharp little movements and those little bright kind of moments progress through the weeks of training," Carrick said.
He added: "Andrey is getting into a rhythm, getting a feeling of it again. So it was good to see him out on the pitch."
Pre-Season Context
United are staying in Europe for pre-season this summer due to the World Cup. Players who competed in the tournament are given a post-World Cup break before reporting back. Carrick explained: "They'll start coming back soon. The squad will get stronger and stronger as we get closer to the season, which we knew. But we've got a good group here."
The manager stressed the importance of avoiding injuries: "I think the most important thing of all for us is that everyone came through it and in good shape and no injuries, so we can move on again and take the next step going into the next game next week."
Next Fixture
United will play their next pre-season friendly against Rosenborg in Trondheim, Norway, on Friday.
