Rúben Amorim is predicted to start a “crazy” Manchester United midfielder for the first time in four months as his side play the ASEAN All-Stars in Kuala Lumpur.
Manchester United are set to begin their two-match post-season tour with a clash against the ASEAN All-Stars in Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday afternoon, kicking off at 13:45 BST.
Rúben Amorim’s side will head to Hong Kong next, where they face a local XI just two days later, before the players depart for their summer break.
It’s been a disappointing campaign, with United finishing 15th in the Premier League and missing out on Champions League qualification after losing the Europa League final to Tottenham Hotspur. As a result, the club will be without European football next season.
Despite the setback, the Southeast Asia tour is expected to generate over £8 million in revenue, and with the transfer window opening this week, marked by the pending arrival of Matheus Cunha, there is cautious optimism that better days lie ahead.
Major changes expected from Amorim
With the fixture set to take place just a few days after United’s 2-0 win over Aston Villa and the following tie 28 hours later, Amorim is expected to make a host of changes to his starting team, beginning with the return of André Onana in goal.
As for the defensive line, Harry Maguire may continue in the middle with Ayden Heaven on the left, but with Victor Lindelöf having been omitted from the tour amid the expiry of his contract next month, there may be a return for Tyler Fredricson on the right of the back three.
Noussair Mazraoui started at right wing-back against Villa but had to withdraw from the Southeast Asia tour due to injury, meaning Diogo Dalot is the obvious candidate to play, with Harry Amass a possibility on the left flank.
Toby Collyer has not started a game for United in almost four months due to injury, and the “crazy” midfielder may return to action from the off as he’s paired with fellow United Academy graduate Kobbie Mainoo in midfield.
With Rasmus Højlund having started nine of United’s last ten fixtures, he may be handed a rest from the off as Chido Obi comes into the fold up front.
Bruno Fernandes is United’s franchise player and will undoubtedly play a significant number of minutes across both games this week, possibly starting on the left of the attack, while Amad may play on the right.
As the tie is not one bound to any official competition, Amorim may make several changes throughout the fixture, ensuring that all his players’ minutes are controlled and everyone gets a chance to play at least once across both fixtures.
United predicted XI vs ASEAN All-Stars
Onana, Fredricson, Maguire, Heaven, Dalot, Collyer, Mainoo, Amass, Amad, Obi, Fernandes.
Make sure to follow UtdDistrict on X, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok to never miss out on any of our Manchester United content. Our podcast, What the Devil?, is streamed live every Thursday at 12:30 pm (BST) on the United View YouTube channel.