Manchester United's summer options have become clearer after World Cup 2026 qualification officially came to a close
Benjamin Sesko of Manchester United celebrates with teammates after scoring their side's third goal during the Premier League match between Manchester United and Fulham at Old Trafford
Benjamin Sesko and Bryan Mbeumo are among the Man United stars who will be available this summer(Image: James Gill - Danehouse/Getty Images)
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Whoever is at the Manchester United helm this summer will have at least a few stars at their disposal in pre-season. The qualification trail for World Cup 2026 officially came to a close on Tuesday, with some significant names set to miss out.
Patrick Dorgu became the latest United star to discover his fate after Denmark's shootout defeat against the Czech Republic. The Danes drew 2-2 in Prague after extra time but lost their nerve in the penalty shootout and will therefore not feature in North America this summer.
Dorgu is currently injured and had no role to play in the dramatic midweek defeat. However, the wide man would have recovered in time to feature for his country this summer, had they successfully held their nerve in the playoff final.
He joins Slovenia's Benjamin Sesko and the Cameroonian duo of Bryan Mbeumo and Andre Onana in watching from the sidelines this summer. However, it's not all bad: the extra summer respite could actually be useful to some.
Michael Carrick appears to have impressed enough in his interim role to secure the permanent position. However, it's yet to be confirmed who will be calling the shots this summer.
Of those not venturing to the World Cup, undoubtedly the player in most desperate need of a revival is Onana. The £44million signing has rediscovered some of his confidence on loan at Trabzonspor, who boast the third-best defence in Turkey's Super Lig.
It would take some doing for the Cameroonian to take United's No. 1 jersey off Senne Lammens at this stage. However, that doesn't mean any potential new manager won't want to assess every option at his disposal should a new face come in.
Andre Onana of Trabzonspor AS during the Turkish Super lig match between Trabzonspor v Fenerbahce at the Senol Gunes Stadium
Andre Onana may get a clean slate to start afresh at United if a new manager comes in(Image: Soccrates Images, Getty Images)
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The same perhaps goes for Dorgu, who will be coming off a long-term injury absence by the time pre-season rolls around. The 21-year-old was in flying form at the time of his blow, but there will be a need to reassess and make sure he's hitting those levels once more when he returns.
It was actually Ruben Amorim who made the decision to trial Dorgu in a right-wing role soon after taking the helm. And Dorgu could do with plenty more minutes working in the new position, with competition from the likes of Mbeumo and Amad.
Mbeumo and Sesko's places look more concrete by comparison. However, Sesko has done much of his finest work off the United bench this campaign, and a fruitful pre-season could help secure the starting berth outright should he need to prove himself further.
That could go extra if it's not Carrick appointed as the next permanent coach. Matheus Cunha has also shown promise in a more central role, even without accounting for potential new arrivals.
Many United fans would agree Carrick deserves the chance to lead United beyond this season. However, the extra time to prove one's case around the World Cup could have its benefits as some look to leave an early impression on the next chief.