Manchester United play Everton in their penultimate pre-season fixture on Sunday, and the squad are looking to continue their winning ways after victories against Bournemouth and West Ham.
Manchester United’s pre-season tour of the USA has been largely a success so far, results-wise, as Rúben Amorim’s squad has won both games against Premier League opposition, including a dominant victory against AFC Bournemouth.
Diego Leon was included in the squad, despite only arriving at the club this summer, with other young left-back Harry Amass set to be loaned out to an EFL side, rather than playing backup to Patrick Chinazaekpere Dorgu.
Other new signings, Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo, are looking to establish themselves in the squad after joining for over £120 million between them, but both missed the last game: Cunha was being rested after playing against Leeds United and West Ham, but Mbeumo is yet to feature after his move from Brentford.
The UtdDistrict team have spotted several notable moments in United’s latest training video as the squad prepares for Everton.
Collyer position experiement
Toby Collyer has struggled for regular gametime under Amorim, despite showing promise towards the start of last season under Erik ten Hag, even being subbed on at halftime against Liverpool due to Casemiro’s poor performance.
In pre-season, Collyer has played as an attacking midfielder and as a deeper midfielder in the double pivot, but he could be set for a position experiment in the last USA fixture against Everton.
Towards the end of the training video, Collyer was seen playing as a right-wing-back in an attack vs defence drill, perhaps because Kobbie Mainoo dropped back into the double pivot after playing as a No.10 against Bournemouth.
Mbeumo set for debut
Despite joining the squad from the start of the USA trip, Mbeumo has yet to play for Amorim’s side due to his fitness levels being lower than the rest of the squad, but he could be set for his first appearance against Everton.
In previous days, Mbeumo had been training alongside young players like Sekou Kone and Bendito Mantato, but in today’s video, the Cameroonian was receiving passes from Matthijs de Ligt before finishing past Altay Bayindir.
The attack vs defence drill showed Mbeumo playing behind Chido Obi in the front three, meaning that the former Brentford man could be in for a second-half appearance when Amorim rotates the majority of the starting XI.
Maguire absent from training
Harry Maguire was replaced after 45 minutes against Bournemouth, sharing the shift in the middle of the back three with Matthijs de Ligt, who played the second half of the match.
While none of the starting squad were seen in the training video, de Ligt was pictured training with the squad, and he played the same amount of minutes as Maguire.
Perhaps the centre back wasn’t fit enough to play the 70 minutes that the rest of the first team did, but missing training for half a match seems illogical.
Only time will tell if Maguire is injured, but an absence from training could put the final nail in his playing time coffin, as de Ligt would replace him, and he will fight hard for a starting spot.
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