Manchester United take on AC Milan in their final pre-season match this afternoon. After beating Leeds on penalties in Dublin on Wednesday, they have made the trip over to Poland to face a team managed by Ruben Amorim, the man Michael Carrick replaced in January.
Mainoo and Rashford return
It could be an awkward reunion for the Portuguese head coach and Kobbie Mainoo, the player he froze out of the first-team a year ago. Mainoo failed to start a single Premier League match under Amorim during the first half of last season but was immediately reinstated by Carrick following his appointment in January, playing a key role in United’s third-place finish.
Marcus Rashford is another who found himself out of favour during Amorim’s reign. The forward left Manchester to join Aston Villa on loan just two months after Amorim’s arrival after repeatedly questioning his application in training. Amorim at one point said he would rather play his 63-year-old goalkeeper coach Jorge Vital than Rashford, who he believed was ‘not giving his maximum.’
First minutes of pre-season
Rashford is in line to make his first appearances for the club since December 2024 and now appears set to remain part of the squad heading into the new season. He and Mainoo are likely to get their first minutes of pre-season and will undoubtedly have a point to prove even in a friendly environment. Lisandro Martinez is also likely to get his first pre-season minutes after his World Cup campaign with Argentina.
Mason Mount, who shone earlier in the summer, was not included in the squad after coming off injured in the draw with Paris Saint-Germain, while Benjamin Sesko will also not be involved. The striker has missed every pre-season game, still recovering from a shin injury he suffered last season.
Kick-off time and TV channel
Man Utd vs AC Milan kicks off at the Tarczynski Arena at 3:45pm BST this afternoon (Saturday 15 August). The match will be broadcast live on MUTV.
