Manchester United's Under-21s remain without an official head coach, although they have already begun pre-season.
How much will Shea Lacey play next season?
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Manchester United seem to be preparing well for the 2026/27 season under Michael Carrick, despite losing to Wrexham in the first pre-season match.
The following results against Rosenborg (5-0) and Atletico Madrid (2-1) would have made up for the early defeat, especially considering Carrick was still missing several first-team players in those matches.
Matheus Cunha, Diogo Dalot, Bruno Fernandes and Noussair Mazraoui have all returned to Carrington this week and could be in line to feature against Paris Saint-Germain on Saturday. Senne Lammens and Youri Tielemans could be named in the travelling squad, too, after returning to training at the end of last week.
Carrick will still rely on some young players on Manchester United's return to Sweden, though. Shea Lacey is one who has particularly impressed so far in pre-season, but Harry Amass, Jaydan Kamason and the Fletcher brothers have also looked good against more senior opposition.
Manchester United's Under-21s have also begun their pre-season campaign, with the likes of Toby Collyer, Jacob Devaney and Dan Gore featuring against Altrincham's first team. Enzo Kana-Biyik and Cristian Orozco also made their United debuts.
U21s set for crucial signing
As of now, the U21s remain without an official head coach after losing Travis Binnion to Michael Carrick's coaching staff last season.
Binnion was confirmed as a permanent member of Carrick's coaching team after the new head coach secured a third-place finish in the Premier League.
Adam Lawrence replaced Travis Binnion as U21s manager on an interim basis last term and is expected to be formally signed as the permanent boss soon, as per Steven Railston.
Lawrence has overseen pre-season for Manchester United's U21s and a formal announcement is expected, despite no confirmation since the end of the campaign. His interim stint was seen as a "success" by academy chiefs.
The 40-year-old had been United's Under-18s boss before moving to Newcastle United to lead their U21s' side in 2025. However, he left St. James' Park in November and was back at Old Trafford before the end of January.
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Adam Lawrence has a big role to play next season
While the head coaches of the youth teams are rarely under a spotlight, Adam Lawrence will have a big role to play next season.
Manchester United have lots of exciting talent who will be looking to push for a first-team place, but competition is fierce. Some players – perhaps including Shea Lacey and new signing Tynan Thompson – could be forced to begin the year with the U21s and wait for opportunities to arise in cup competitions.
It would not be a surprise to see the likes of the Amass, the Fletcher twins, Devaney, Lacey, Kana-Biyik, and Chido Obi feature regularly for the Under-21s if they remain at Old Trafford this summer.
Lawrence will have the difficult task of managing their minutes while they train with the first team. Alongside this, he will be looking to include the promising talent from the Under-18s, too.
He will have a difficult job next season, but that is a very promising sign for Manchester United.