Manchester United Prepare for PSG Test with Tielemans and Fernandes
Manchester United will unveil a new face and welcome back their captain against the kings of Europe – but they will do it without their first-choice goalkeeper and a key forward.
Youri Tielemans is in line to make his United debut against Paris Saint-Germain in Gothenburg this weekend, with Bruno Fernandes also set to return to action. Senne Lammens and Matheus Cunha, though, will stay behind.
Tielemans era begins
Tielemans linked up with Michael Carrick’s squad for the first time last week, fresh from a post-World Cup break after Belgium’s run to the quarter-finals in North America.
United paid around £35million to prise him from Aston Villa last month, handing the former Leicester, Monaco and Anderlecht midfielder a five-year deal that runs until 2031. A long-term piece in the new Carrick blueprint, dropped straight into the heart of it.
He watched from the sidelines as United beat Atletico Madrid 2-1 in the Snapdragon Cup at Stockholm’s Strawberry Arena, but there will be no repeat of that in Sweden this time. Tielemans has been named in the 22-man travelling party heading to the Nya Ullevi Stadium, where he is expected to pull on a United shirt for the first time against the back-to-back Champions League holders.
It is a heavyweight stage for a first step.
Captain back on duty
Alongside him, Fernandes is ready to rejoin the rhythm. The captain reported back this week after his own World Cup holiday and is in contention to feature against PSG, as is Portugal team-mate Diogo Dalot.
Carrick also has Noussair Mazraoui back in camp and Cunha among the returning contingent. Yet the Brazilian will not be involved in Gothenburg despite rejoining the group.
United have confirmed that both Cunha and Lammens will remain at Carrington to “fully recover from non-related minor illnesses”, with the expectation that they will rejoin the squad during next week’s training camp in the Republic of Ireland.
For Carrick, it means reshaping his plans in goal and in attack for one of the glamour fixtures of pre-season.
Goalkeeping reshuffle
Lammens’ absence comes at a delicate moment between the posts. New signing Karl Darlow is also unavailable, while Altay Bayindir and Radek Vitek have departed for Celta Vigo and Middlesbrough respectively.
The result is a stripped-back hierarchy: veteran Tom Heaton as the senior option, with Dermot Mee and teenager Fred Heath backing him up against Kylian Mbappé and company. It is a daunting assignment for the youngsters, but also a rare window into United’s goalkeeping future.
Striker Benjamin Sesko remains sidelined with a shin injury that has carried over from last season, removing another attacking option as Carrick juggles his front line.
Injuries, holidays and the next wave
Matthijs de Ligt is still not ready to return from a long-term back issue, while Kobbie Mainoo, Marcus Rashford and Lisandro Martinez are yet to rejoin the squad after the World Cup and will link up with United in Ireland.
One of the brightest stories of the win over Atletico, 15-year-old JJ Gabriel, is not involved this weekend despite making his senior debut off the bench in Stockholm. That game was settled by a second-half brace from Bryan Mbeumo, who again makes the trip and continues to press his case in attack.
Fellow youngsters Jim Thwaites, Jaydan Kamason and Ethan Williams drop out of the group for Gothenburg, but Heath steps in for Bayindir and a clutch of academy talents remain on board. Harry Amass, Dan Armer, Jack Fletcher, Tyler Fletcher and Shea Lacey all keep their spots, part of a growing core of prospects being tested under Carrick.
Joshua Zirkzee also travels, his inclusion notable given persistent links with a summer exit. For now, he stays in the shop window in United red.
Sweden, Ireland, then the real thing
The PSG clash is the latest stop on a busy summer. After Gothenburg, United head to a training camp in the Republic of Ireland, followed by a meeting with rivals Leeds at Croke Park in Dublin on August 12. AC Milan await in Wroclaw, Poland on August 15, the final tune-up before the serious business begins.
Carrick’s first Premier League campaign as permanent manager starts away to Championship play-off winners Hull on August 22. By then, he will hope Tielemans is fully integrated, Fernandes is back to full sharpness and his goalkeeping picture is clearer.
For now, the focus is simple: a debut for a £35m midfielder, a captain’s return, and a test against Europe’s dominant force with a reshuffled spine and a bench full of ambition.
Manchester United squad to face PSG
- Goalkeepers: Tom Heaton, Dermot Mee, Fred Heath
- Defenders: Harry Amass, Dan Armer, Patrick Dorgu, Diogo Dalot, Ayden Heaven, Harry Maguire, Noussair Mazraoui, Luke Shaw, Leny Yoro
- Midfielders: Bruno Fernandes, Jack Fletcher, Tyler Fletcher, Mason Mount, Andrey Santos, Youri Tielemans
- Forwards: Amad Diallo, Shea Lacey, Bryan Mbeumo, Joshua Zirkzee
