Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has confirmed the return of Scott McTominay, Rasmus Hojlund, and Christian Eriksen to pre-season training following their involvement in Euro 2024.
Scott McTominay is set to begin his pre-season training with the Red Devils on Wednesday. Despite Scotland failing to make it past the group stage in Euro 2024, McTominay could potentially be involved in Manchester United's second pre-season friendly against Rangers on Saturday.
Manchester United head coach, Erik ten Hag, said:
"It starts on Wednesday with Scott returning, then, next week, Rasmus Hojlund and Christian Eriksen are returning, then they go on the tour."
Hojlund and Eriksen to arrive next week
Meanwhile, Rasmus Hojlund and Christian Eriksen are scheduled for a later return next week. The Danish duo will travel with the first-team squad to the United States for the club's pre-season tour despite their involvement in the Euro 2024 knockout round where Denmark was defeated by Germany.
Manchester United opened their preparations for the upcoming 2024-25 campaign with a youthful squad that suffered a narrow defeat against Rosenborg on Monday night. Senior players Marcus Rashford, Casemiro, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Jonny Evans and Mason Mount were part of this initial lineup while others like Harry Maguire, Antony, Amad Diallo stayed back in Manchester.
Several key players including Altay Bayindir, Diogo Dalot and Bruno Fernandes who were involved in latter stages of Euro 2024 are not yet ready for a comeback. Lisandro Martinez along with Facundo Pellistri and Alejandro Garnacho also remain unavailable due to their participation at Copa America.
New signings & potential transfers
New signing Joshua Zirkzee was an unexpected addition to Netherlands squad for Euro 2024 but is not expected back until next month. Zirkzee is the first signing of Manchester United's INEOS era, and the club anticipates at least three more additions before the summer transfer window closes.
Erik ten Hag added:
"He is a player who can link up the game, who can be available, hold up the ball, have good ideas, be creative, can dribble, [make] combinations. So that's a different type and always what we are looking for, so it gives us more options tactically, which is good because, especially up front, we have many players who can play very direct and they can take a big benefit from his skills."
The Red Devils are reportedly advancing a deal for Bayern Munich defender Matthijs de Ligt while also working on potential moves for Lille's Leny Yoro and Everton's Jarrad Branthwaite.
As Manchester United gears up for the new season, fans eagerly await to see how these changes will impact their performance in upcoming matches. With key players returning from international duty and new signings on the horizon, it promises to be an exciting season ahead.
