Manchester United have seen three players added to training as Rúben Amorim prepares his side to face Arsenal on Sunday.
Following a pre-season schedule that took them to Sweden, the United States, and back to Old Trafford, Rúben Amorim’s Manchester United are ready to begin their 2025/26 Premier League campaign.
United’s summer tour produced wins over West Ham and Bournemouth, along with draws against Leeds United, Everton, and Fiorentina. A penalty shootout victory over the Italian side secured the Snapdragon Cup and ensured the Reds went unbeaten.
With preparations wrapped up, Amorim now turns his attention to Sunday, 17 August, when Arsenal travel to Old Trafford for the opening game of the season.
The high-profile fixture will feature several competitive debuts, with Benjamin Šeško, Matheus Cunha, and Bryan Mbeumo set to appear for United, while Arsenal is expected to hand first outings under Mikel Arteta to Viktor Gyökeres, Martin Zubimendi, and Noni Madueke.
United confirm three fresh faces in training
With pre-season over and the competitive grind now starting, United have welcomed back two familiar faces and one further addition, with new striker Šeško joining in for his first session on Monday morning.
Beyond the 22-year-old Slovenian, United have also welcomed André Onana and Joshua Zirkzee back into training. Both players did not feature in pre-season due to injuries, but are now fully fit and back with the team ahead of the Arsenal tie.
However, Noussair Mazraoui remains out of action after featuring only against Leeds across the last few weeks, and Lisandro Martínez continues to work himself back to full fitness as part of his rehabilitation programme after an ACL injury in February.
Meanwhile, Mikel Arteta has confirmed that the “intelligent” Leandro Trossard should be fit to travel to Manchester after missing Arsenal’s last two pre-season fixtures with a groin issue.
“I think he’s going to be [okay] in a few days, yes, a little niggle in the groin,” Arteta said. “But he should be fine.”
Could Šeško start against Arsenal?
The big question on everyone’s mind is that, with Šeško in a full week’s training with the Reds, will he have enough time with the squad to warrant a start against Arsenal.
Unlike Mbeumo being confined to gym sessions at Brentford, Šeško had been undergoing pre-season training with RB Leipzig before his move to United, and played in two of their friendlies while training as part of the team or individually, meaning he is fit for the tie.
Although AMorim will be keen to protect the player, the uncertainty surrounding Rasmus Højlund’s possible move to AC Milan could leave United without any other choice than starting the Slovenian international this weekend.
Zirkzee has been in light training for a while and is back in full training now, but there is also the question of whether Mason Mount could start through the middle again after playing the position against Fiorentina last weekend.
Šeško may become the most logical starting option when United host Arsenal at Old Trafford.
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