Manchester United players returned to the pitches at Carrington on Monday for pre-season ahead of a crucial campaign for Ruben Amorim’s squad.
After several weeks of rest over the summer, Ruben Amorim welcomed back the majority of his Manchester United squad to Carrington at the beginning of this week.
New signings Matheus Cunha and Diego Leon were both present as the Reds started the session in the gym conducting some physical testing.
Afterwards, Amorim and his coaching staff took the players out on the grass for their first proper session of the season and there were plenty of interesting aspects noted.
In this article, UtdDistrict have looked at five things spotted during the training session, including the involvement of a special talent.
1 – Cunha’s number confirmed
With the players out on the pitch for the first time, all eyes were on Cunha as he got used to his new teammates and it was quickly noticed that he was donning the club’s iconic no.10 shirt.
United announced that the Brazilian international will wear the shirt number next season, with Marcus Rashford looking set to depart after being given extra time off to find a new club.
Cunha was all smiles in the session and club reporters claimed that he was impressing with his finishing during the drills, something that will be music to the ears of United fans.
2 – Amorim getting tactical work done
United boss Amorim was pictured with the ball at his feet during the session and he was in good spirits for more reasons than one.
After being thrown into the difficult life of the Premier League when he arrived at United, the 40-year-old is now getting time to do more detailed work on the training pitch.
On the club’s website, it was explained that the session progressed into tactical instructions on the full-sized pitch, which is something Amorim rarely got the chance to do last term.
He has previously explained how he would often have to use the indoor pitches and have the team play at walking pace during recovery days, whereas now he will be hoping to get the details through to his entire squad throughout pre-season.
3 – Leon working hard
While the attention was mostly on Cunha, United also welcomed Leon for his first session and the teenager looked hard at work on the pitch.
The South American talent has already explained his intention to impress Amorim and the coaching team during pre-season and he looks to have got off to a good start.
Amorim was said to have a beaming smile due to the intensity Leon shown during his first session on the grass for the club, and he will want to continue that momentum going forward.
4 – Lacey involved
In the background of one image of Cunha, you could just make out that Shea Lacey was one of the youngsters involved in the first session back.
The 18-year-old impressed fans during the post-season tour of Asia despite minimal time on the pitch and will be eager to prove to Amorim that he deserves to be travelling to the United States later this month.
Lacey has been described as a ‘world-class talent’ but his progress has been halted by injuries. He is fully fit heading into this new season and will be eyeing a potential first-team debut, with no current plans for a loan away from Old Trafford.
5 – Potential front three
With Cunha settling in with his new teammates, he was pictured in conversation with Joshua Zirkzee as they walked onto the training pitch, and Amad was alongside them.
Ideally, United fans would want a new striker and Bryan Mbeumo to be signed to play alongside Cunha in the frontline.
However, even if that ends up being the case, Cunha could very well end up starting games alongside Zirkzee and Amad in the frontline.
All three players are exciting with the ball at their feet and could link-up well. They are already seeming to be building that connection off the pitch.
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