Manchester United will take to the field at Croke Park in Dublin on Wednesday evening for a pre-season friendly against Leeds United, with Michael Carrick's squad receiving a timely boost following the return of several key players after the World Cup.
The headline arrival is Marcus Rashford, who touched down at United's Carrington base on Sunday morning before flying out with the rest of the squad to Ireland later that day. The forward has not featured for United since December 2024, a period that saw him head out on loan first to Aston Villa and then to Barcelona after falling out of favour under former head coach Ruben Amorim. His return to the fold, sporting a new shirt number, is being seen as an early indication that he could have a future at the club he came through as a boyhood supporter. He is expected to feature against Leeds.
In goal, there is a possibility that summer recruit Karl Darlow could make his first appearance for the club, though Senne Lammens is tipped to start after missing the previous friendly against Paris Saint-Germain due to illness. Fellow goalkeeper Tom Heaton, who picked up a hamstring problem during that PSG match and needed on-pitch treatment before being substituted by Dermot Mee, remains a doubt for involvement this time out.
At the back, Diogo Dalot is expected to be given more playing time having managed just half an hour against PSG. That could open the door for Noussair Mazraoui to line up alongside Harry Maguire at the heart of defence, with Luke Shaw also among the doubts for the fixture.
In midfield, Youri Tielemans is aiming for his first start since arriving at Old Trafford, having made a substitute appearance at the weekend. Should he get the nod, it could push both Kobbie Mainoo and Andrey Santos to the bench. Bruno Fernandes, meanwhile, is expected to retain his place in the starting eleven.
Further forward, Patrick Dorgu looks set to continue in an attacking role, offering support to lone striker Bryan Mbeumo, with Amad Diallo also expected to feature in the final third. Matheus Cunha, who did not take part in the win over PSG, will be hoping to get his first minutes of the pre-season campaign, likely arriving from the bench if selected.
One notable absentee is Lisandro Martinez, who linked up with the squad later than his teammates having been part of the Argentina squad that lost the World Cup final. He is not expected to be involved against Leeds.
The predicted United lineup reads: Lammens; Dalot, Mazraoui, Maguire, Shaw; Tielemans, Santos; Amad, Fernandes, Dorgu; Mbeumo.
The match kicks off at 7.30pm on Wednesday, August 12, 2026, at Croke Park, Dublin, and will be United's penultimate outing of their pre-season friendly schedule before the new campaign gets underway. Coverage of the fixture will be available through Manchester United's official channels.
Based on reporting from standard-football.