One of Manchester United’s Academy stars has confirmed he is fit and ready to fight for his place under Rúben Amorim after a three-month injury.
As Manchester United concentrate on summer transfer business, Rúben Amorim is hard at work preparing his squad for the new Premier League season.
Pre-season begins in mid-July, with five matches lined up. The first is a meeting with familiar foes Leeds United in Sweden at the Strawberry Arena.
United will then travel to the United States to face West Ham, Bournemouth, and Everton, before wrapping up their preparations at Old Trafford against Fiorentina, now featuring former United goalkeeper David de Gea.
The Premier League have confirmed that United will open their 2025/26 season with a blockbuster clash against Arsenal at Old Trafford on Sunday, 17 August, with kick-off at 16:30 BST.
McAllister confirms return from injury
Amid the pre-season tour, many of United’s brightest Academy stars are expected to be part of the squad as Amorim prepares his team for his first full season in charge at Old Trafford.
Among those young stars keen to impress may be Finley McAllister, who trained several times under Amorim prior to sustaining a three-month injury that ruled him out for the remainder of the campaign.
18-year-old “fantastic” McAllister has captained United at both the U18 and U21 levels, a privilege for a boyhood United fan.
McAllister is an old-school defensive midfielder, sharing many traits with the midfielders of United’s past. He is a natural leader who looks to play a physical style of football, but is also solid in his passing, making him an intriguing prospect for Amorim.
The teenager has now confirmed on social media that, after a period of rest and recovery, he has had a “full reset” and is now ready to fight for his place in the upcoming campaign.
Pre-season has come at a perfect time for Academy players
This upcoming 2025 pre-season tour may be one of United’s most important in a long time. The organisation has been fantastic, with the club facing four Premier League clubs before their clash against Fiorentina at Old Trafford.
United are expected to have a full first-team squad available for the trip, barring Lisandro Martínez, who continues to recover from his ACL injury sustained in February, which is beneficial for the young players.
During summers when international tournaments often mean United do not have access to many first-team players across pre-season, the club often have to rely on young players to play in many of the pre-season fixtures. However, with the whole squad available, they have time to learn.
There are many young stars, such as Harry Amass and Chido Obi, who will be looking to break into Amorim’s starting XI, while others, like McAllister, will be aiming to impress the boss ahead of potential debuts next season.
Having a full first-team squad available will also give the youngsters the chance to learn from the professional players in the team during the summer training days, which will significantly enhance their development.
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