Harry Maguire has disclosed that Manchester United keep a close watch on players' fitness levels through detailed training schedules and GPS tracking, as the defender enjoys his lengthiest break in years after being omitted from England's World Cup squad. The 33-year-old was a surprise exclusion from Thomas Tuchel's squad for the 2026 tournament in the United States.
Maguire's World Cup Disappointment
Maguire made no attempt to conceal his disappointment at the time, taking to social media to express his feelings. "I was confident I could have played a major part this summer for my country after the season I've had," he wrote. "I've been left shocked and gutted by the decision. I've loved nothing more than putting that shirt on and representing my country over the years. I wish the players all the best this summer."
The centre-back missed a second consecutive major tournament, having previously been ruled out of Euro 2024 with a calf injury. When available and fit, he remained a consistent presence in United's starting line-up throughout last season, making 38 appearances in all competitions.
Club's Fitness Monitoring Programme
United have ensured that players not involved in international action follow a structured programme to maintain their fitness levels. Every player is equipped with a GPS tracker that feeds data back to the club. Maguire revealed that players are due to report for pre-season training in the second week of July, with the defender enjoying the longest break of his career since making his first England appearance in 2017.
Speaking on The Rest Is Football podcast, recorded in New York, Maguire described what he called an 'unusual' off-season. "We are back in I think Wednesday – the 9th [of July]," he said. "This is the longest [break] I've had since I made my England debut. It's been nice, but it's been strange. I'll have had six-and-a-half weeks off but then to be honest, the pre-season – I normally get about three weeks before the first game, this year I'm going to have six-and-a-half weeks so I've got a long way to build up."
GPS Tracking and Schedules
Maguire elaborated on the club's monitoring methods: "Man United send you a schedule, they send you a GPS to make sure that you're doing it. Yeah, they keep on top of you." The GPS trackers allow the club's performance staff to monitor players' running loads, heart rates, and other metrics remotely, ensuring they return to pre-season in optimal condition.
Pre-Season Tour Details
Michael Carrick will take charge of his first pre-season as United's head coach, with the club set to play a string of friendlies across several European nations. Fixtures are lined up in Finland, Sweden, Norway, the Republic of Ireland and Poland throughout July and August. The tour begins on July 18th with a match against Wrexham in Helsinki. United then head to Trondheim to face Rosenborg on July 24th, before taking on Atletico Madrid in Stockholm on August 1st.
Additional matches are scheduled against Paris Saint-Germain in Gothenburg on August 8th, Leeds United at Dublin's Croke Park on August 12th, and AC Milan in Wroclaw on August 15th. The Premier League campaign kicks off shortly after, with United starting their season on Saturday, August 22nd, away to newly-promoted Hull City in a 12:30pm kick-off.
