Santos Debuts as Man Utd Pre-Season Kicks Off

Manchester United's summer preparations for the 2026-27 season officially begin on Saturday, July 18, 2026. The club will face Wrexham at the Helsinki Olympic Stadium in Finland for their first pre-season friendly. This match is the initial fixture in a series of six, with further games scheduled against Rosenborg, Atlético Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain, Leeds United, and AC Milan.

Manager Michael Carrick will use this game to assess his squad, provide playing time for young prospects, and integrate new signing Andrey Santos, who joined from Chelsea for £50 million earlier this week. Santos is expected to make his debut in Finland. However, several prominent players will be absent.

Key absentees include Youri Tielemans, who is on an extended break after helping Belgium reach the World Cup quarter-finals. Benjamin Šeško and goalkeeper Karl Darlow are recovering from minor injuries, while Manuel Ugarte and Matthijs de Ligt are continuing their rehabilitation. Additionally, senior internationals such as Bruno Fernandes, Marcus Rashford, Kobbie Mainoo, Diogo Dalot, and Lisandro Martínez are not available due to their World Cup commitments. Academy prospect JJ Gabriel, aged 15, has also been left at home to manage his workload. Wrexham, meanwhile, welcome back injured duo Dom Hyam and Nathan Broadhead. However, they will still be without Max Cleworth, Ben Sheaf, and Josh Windass, with Elliot Lee and Ryan Longman also rested for this fixture.