Tomorrow sees Manchester United begin their preseason campaign, with a friendly against Leeds United. But Dean Henderson, Anthony Martial and Donny van de Beek will all not be there. With the first name listed there, it is not a surprise, as he’s finalizing his transfer move to Nottingham Forest.
As for the other two, well, it was thought that they would be match fit by this time. So much for that.
?BREAKING!?
Mason Mount is in the #MUFC squad to face Leeds tomorrow, but Donny Van De Beek and Anthony Martial are out injured… pic.twitter.com/l5J8Senszr
— Stretford Paddock (@StretfordPaddck) July 11, 2023
Man United vs Leeds (Club Friendly) FYIs
Kickoff: Wed July 12, 4pm
Team News/Starting XI Prediction: go here
Location: Ullevaal Stadion in Oslo
Why it’s called the Roses Rivalry/Deeper History of the matchup: go here
With Martial, the hamstring injury that he suffered against Fulham still hasn’t healed yet. In fact, he only featured 11 times last season and he hasn’t gone a full 90 minutes in a match since 2021.
With Van de Beek, he’s been out injured since January, and he is pegged to leave the club this summer, provided they can find the right buyer. United are said to prefer an out right sale, but a loan move is probably more likely.
Prediction: United 1, Leeds 0
Look for the Red Devils to score a W in their first exhibition match of the preseason. Yes, the deadest of the dead time is now over. It goes fast doesn’t it? The season will be here before you know it.
Paul M. Banks is the owner/manager of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
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