Manchester United face Wrexham in their first pre-season friendly today in Helsinki, Finland, with new signing Andrey Santos poised to make his debut. The midfielder, who joined from Chelsea for an initial £48m fee (plus £2m in add-ons), has been included in the 25-man squad for the match.
Santos set for early minutes
Santos has been training at Carrington since his move and, having missed out on Brazil's World Cup squad, was available to start immediately. With United short on senior midfielders, he is expected to feature against the Championship side. The 20-year-old can play as a defensive midfielder, an attacking No.8, or a No.10, giving manager Michael Carrick tactical flexibility.
Tielemans delayed by World Cup rest
Youri Tielemans, who joined on a free transfer from Aston Villa for £35m, is not in the squad for the Wrexham game. The Belgium captain, 29, is on holiday after World Cup duty. According to FIFPRO recommendations, players require at least four weeks of uninterrupted rest. Belgium were eliminated on July 10, meaning Tielemans could debut around August 8 against PSG, though a more realistic date is August 12 against Leeds or August 15 against AC Milan.
Darlow recovering from procedure
Karl Darlow, a free agent signing from Leeds, is also absent. The goalkeeper is recovering from a procedure at the end of last season. He could make his debut on July 24 against Rosenborg or on August 1 against Atletico Madrid, depending on his recovery progress.
