The Red Devils are hard at work ahead of their pre-season match against fierce rivals Liverpool in Thailand, and a few hints have emerged about how the team and new manager Erik ten Hag have been preparing.
Manchester United’s pre-season preparations will take a step forward this week when they face arch-rivals Liverpool in Thailand.
The Red Devils face Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool in a pre-season friendly in Thailand, with Erik ten Hag poised to captain the team for the first time since joining from Ajax in the summer. The Dutchman has been putting his team through their paces at the Rajamangala Stadium ahead of the contest.
Having attended a few training sessions at the club’s Carrington facility, it provides him with an excellent opportunity to observe his players in action in a different setting. With that stated, here are four things Mirror Sport saw from the last session as Manchester United’s pre-season calendar finally gets underway.
Running, running, and running some more
While a number of players have lauded Ten Hag for his painstaking attention to detail and forward-thinking approach to tactics and playing style since his arrival, it appears that the 52-year-old is still a fan of the old-fashioned pre-season.
Throughout pre-season, the Red Devils squad has been seen participating in group running sessions to boost their fitness. That has not changed in Thailand, where the group has snapped running the diameter of the pitch.
Of course, there have been tactical and positional sessions, but it is evident that Ten Hag is at least attempting to get his team in the finest physical shape possible ahead of what will undoubtedly be a difficult campaign at Old Trafford.
Harry Maguire, who was spotted beside a member of the coaching staff working away from the squad, was one noteworthy absence from the Red Devils’ last session.
According to reports, the Manchester United captain has suffered a minor injury and will be ruled out of the match against Liverpool.
While that is awful news, there has been some good news for the former Leicester City star in the last 24 hours, with Ten Hag stating that he will maintain the Old Trafford captaincy despite having his status called into question following a poor season last season.
Telles is deeply interested.
Ten Hag has a plethora of left-backs at his disposal when preseason begins. The Dutchman has made a move for fellow countryman Tyrell Malacia, while Luke Shaw, Alex Telles, and Brandon Williams are already at the club.
The future of the former Porto star is now the most uncertain, with United willing to move him this summer. However, it appears that an exit is unlikely to happen anytime soon.
Telles was spotted near the front of the pack during the Red Devils’ Monday jogging practice. It remains to be seen whether he is battling to stay at the club, but for the time being, he is clearly part of the club’s plans, even if only for the forthcoming match against Liverpool.
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