Manchester United
Image credit: Getty Images
Manchester United wrapped up an unbeaten pre-season for the first time since 2019, but manager Ruben Amorim is facing an anxious wait over the fitness of four first-team regulars ahead of Sunday’s Premier League opener against Arsenal at Old Trafford.
The availability of Andre Onana, Lisandro Martinez, Joshua Zirkzee and Noussair Mazraoui remains uncertain, with none of the quartet involved in United’s final summer friendly, a home clash with Fiorentina last Saturday.
Onana has missed the entirety of pre-season after sustaining a hamstring injury during the opening week of training at Carrington. His absence has seen Altay Bayindir deputise, while Tom Heaton provided back-up. Despite links to other goalkeepers, including Aston Villa’s Emiliano Martinez and PSG’s Gianluigi Donnarumma, no deals have materialised.
Onana returned to light training during the Premier League Summer Series and has set his sights on being fit for the Arsenal clash. “I feel good, I feel great,” he said on August 3. “Hopefully, I will be back for the start of the season.”
Andre Onana (Image credit: Getty Images)
The Dutch striker, Zirkzee has not played in pre-season due to a muscle injury picked up before the US tour. He recently returned to training at Carrington and has expressed confidence in being fit for Sunday’s opener. “It shouldn’t take too long to recover now,” Zirkzee said. “I just want to be there for the start of the season.”
The Moroccan full-back Mazraoui has been absent since being substituted at half-time in United’s pre-season opener against Leeds in Stockholm. The exact nature of his injury remains undisclosed, and he has not been pictured in recent training sessions. With Diogo Dalot available and Amad Diallo featuring regularly at right wing-back in pre-season, Amorim may opt not to rush Mazraoui back.
The Argentine centre-back, Martinez has been sidelined since February with an ACL injury that required surgery. While he joined United’s US tour, Martinez has yet to feature in a game, taking part only in selected training sessions. No specific return date has been set, but he remains an integral part of Amorim’s defensive plans.