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David de Gea sends five-word message ahead of Manchester United return

The latest Man Utd news as David de Gea prepares for his return to Old Trafford in an upcoming pre-season friendly against Italian side Fiorentina.

David de Gea warms up for Fiorentina.

Ex-Man Utd goalkeeper David de Gea will return to Old Trafford this weekend - after two years away.

(Image: Getty Images)

David de Gea has issued a five-word message ahead of his impending return to Old Trafford for Fiorentina's pre-season friendly against Manchester United on Saturday.

The Spaniard, 34, departed Old Trafford at the end of his contract back in 2023 - following more than a decade in Manchester. De Gea made a club record 545 appearances as a goalkeeper for United, bagging five major trophies since his arrival in 2011.

But after a challenging 2022/2023 season marked by several high-profile blunders, the United favourite left - with then-head coach Erik ten Hag opting to bring in Andre Onana from Inter Milan as his successor. The goalkeeper endured a tough period post-United, struggling to secure a new club until he signed up with Italian Serie A side Fiorentina last summer.

De Gea had an impressive debut season in Italy. The 34-year-old delivered several standout performances for the Serie A side, notably in Europe, where they made the Europa Conference League semi-finals - ultimately losing to Real Betis over two legs.

And the shot-stopper will return to M16 for the first time since his departure two years ago. The Italian outfit will face Nottingham Forest on Tuesday evening before their trip to Manchester.

"United Road. See you Saturday," he said on X - formerly known as Twitter.

De Gea's successor at M16, Onana, has endured a difficult time since joining United and could make his return from injury in the fixture against Fiorentina. The Cameroonian has not featured in any of the club's pre-season fixtures so far after sustaining a hamstring injury in the first week of training last month.

"I feel good, I feel great," he told Sky Sports on Sunday. "It's been a few difficult weeks but, yeah, hopefully, I will be back for the start of the season.

"I'm enjoying the training with my guys - and we are looking forward."

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