Man United decide whether Andrey Santos will face Wrexham | OneFootball

Manchester United have announced the travelling squad for the upcoming friendly against Wrexham this weekend. The Red Devils are set to face the Championship club at Helsinki on Saturday, 18 July, for their first pre-season fixture.

The Premier League giants arrive at the game following an impressive end to the season under Michael Carrick. United secured third place in the league table following a mesmerising run since the English manager took over in January, winning 12 of his 17 games in charge.

The Red Devils are now preparing for an eventful season, during which they will be competing in the new format of the Champions League for the first time. Understandably, INEOS are working to upgrade the squad over the summer, especially with Casemiro leaving Old Trafford as a free agent.

The Brazilian was indispensable to Carrick’s golden run last season, and left a lasting impression at the Theatre of Dreams. The English giants are now eager to ensure he is not missed in the 2026/27 campaign and have already made multiple additions to their squad over the summer.

United have made three new signings

United were linked with Elliot Anderson and Mateus Fernandes at the beginning of the summer but missed out on both players. They were also close to securing the services of Atalanta’s Ederson before performing a late U-turn.

The situation added to the frustration among fans, but the Premier League giants have since made three additions to Carrick’s squad. Andrey Santos became the first arrival of the summer, joining from Chelsea as INEOS continued with their strategy of signing Premier League-proven talents.

With the goalkeeping department requiring reinforcements after Andre Onana’s loan exit to Trabzonspor, United moved quickly to sign free agent Karl Darlow. Meanwhile, Youri Tielemans was signed from Aston Villa to add more quality and experience to the middle of the park.

United fans will be eager to catch a glimpse of the trio soon, but it now appears that only one of them is in the squad for this weekend’s friendly.

A pre-season debut for Santos?

United have confirmed that Andrey Santos is part of the travelling squad for the pre-season tie against Wrexham. The Brazilian has already trained with his new team-mates this week and could feature against the Championship side.

Tielemans, meanwhile, is missing as he enjoys a well-deserved rest following his run at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Other United players involved in the summer’s tournament are absent as well, while Darlow is currently in Manchester recovering from a fitness issue.

Another absentee from the squad is Benjamin Sesko, who is still recovering from a knock picked up in the final weeks of the last campaign. The Slovenian, though, is expected to be fit for the new campaign. Meanwhile, JJ Gabriel is also not in the squad.

With Diogo Dalot and Noussair Mazraoui absent, the match could provide young Jaydan Kamason with a chance to impress Carrick. Harry Amass and Shea Lacey will also hope to be involved in the friendly.

Manchester United confirmed squad for Wrexham tie

Final Thoughts

The Wrexham friendly will provide Carrick with an opportunity to assess his squad ahead of a testing season. United fans, however, will have their eyes firmly on Santos and will hope the young midfielder can make a positive first impression.

Featured image Shaun Botterill via Getty Images

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