Youri Tielemans Set for Manchester United Debut Against PSG
Manchester United head to Sweden this weekend with a new midfield conductor ready to step onto the stage – but without two key figures as they test themselves against the champions of Europe.
Tielemans ready for first United bow
Youri Tielemans is in line to make his Manchester United debut against Paris Saint-Germain in Gothenburg, a little over a month after completing his £35million move from Aston Villa.
The Belgian only joined up with Michael Carrick’s squad last week, his arrival delayed by a well-earned break following Belgium’s run to the World Cup quarter-finals in North America. Now he is on the plane and in the 22-man travelling party heading for the Nya Ullevi Stadium, where United will measure themselves against the back-to-back Champions League winners.
Tielemans, 29, sat out the 2-1 win over Atletico Madrid in the Snapdragon Cup in Stockholm’s Strawberry Arena, but the plan has always been to drip-feed him into this tour. Gothenburg is set to be his first taste of life in red, the former Leicester, Monaco and Anderlecht playmaker beginning a five-year contract that runs to 2031 with a high-profile audition.
Captain back, but key absentees bite
United’s midfield will have a familiar heartbeat again. Bruno Fernandes has reported back after his own post-World Cup holiday and is expected to feature, as is Portugal team-mate Diogo Dalot. Noussair Mazraoui has rejoined the group after Morocco duty, with Brazilian forward Matheus Cunha also back around the squad.
But not all returns mean minutes.
Cunha, despite resuming work at Carrington this week, will not be involved against PSG. First-choice goalkeeper Senne Lammens is also ruled out. Both players have been left behind to “fully recover from non-related minor illnesses”, United confirmed, with the expectation they will link up again during next week’s training camp in the Republic of Ireland.
Their absence bites hardest in goal. With Lammens out, new signing Karl Darlow unavailable and Altay Bayindir and Radek Vitek having departed for Celta Vigo and Middlesbrough respectively, the goalkeeping department suddenly looks thin. Veteran Tom Heaton will start as the senior option, with Dermot Mee and teenager Fred Heath providing cover.
Up front, the problems are different but just as real. Striker Benjamin Sesko remains sidelined by a shin injury that has lingered from last season, leaving Carrick short of a recognised centre-forward at full sharpness.
Carrick’s first full season taking shape
This summer is not just about conditioning; it is about identity. Carrick, now permanent manager after a successful interim spell, is using this tour to harden the edges of a squad he wants to carry his imprint into his first full Premier League campaign.
The schedule is relentless. After Sweden comes that Ireland camp, then a meeting with old rivals Leeds at Croke Park in Dublin on August 12. Three days later, AC Milan await in Wroclaw, Poland, in United’s final warm-up fixture.
Then the real thing begins. United open their Premier League season away at Hull, the Championship play-off winners, on August 22. By then, Carrick will hope the pieces have settled.
Some of those pieces are still missing. Matthijs de Ligt is not yet ready to return from a long-term back injury. Kobbie Mainoo, Marcus Rashford and Lisandro Martinez are all still on post-World Cup breaks and will only rejoin the group in Ireland, leaving gaps in spine and leadership that others must fill.
Young faces, hard choices
The pre-season win over Atletico Madrid in Stockholm showcased United’s next generation. Fifteen-year-old JJ Gabriel made his senior debut off the bench, while Bryan Mbeumo – whose second-half brace turned the game – underlined his growing influence.
Gothenburg will have a slightly different cast.
Gabriel is not involved this weekend. Nor are fellow youngsters Jim Thwaites, Jaydan Kamason and Ethan Williams, who all drop out of the squad. Heath, though, steps in to replace Bayindir among the goalkeepers, and several academy prospects retain their spots.
Harry Amass, Dan Armer, Jack Fletcher, Tyler Fletcher and Shea Lacey all travel and will again be asked to show they can handle this level. Joshua Zirkzee is also included despite sustained links with a summer move away, his presence a reminder that pre-season is as much about futures as it is about fitness.
The squad to face the champions
Carrick’s 22-man group for the clash with PSG:
- Goalkeepers: Tom Heaton, Dermot Mee, Fred Heath
- Defenders: Harry Amass, Dan Armer, Patrick Dorgu, Diogo Dalot, Ayden Heaven, Harry Maguire, Noussair Mazraoui, Luke Shaw, Leny Yoro
- Midfielders: Bruno Fernandes, Jack Fletcher, Tyler Fletcher, Mason Mount, Andrey Santos, Youri Tielemans
- Forwards: Amad Diallo, Shea Lacey, Bryan Mbeumo, Joshua Zirkzee
A fresh signing ready to debut. A captain back in the fold. A squad stretched in key areas but bristling with opportunity.
Against the reigning European champions, Carrick will discover how ready this evolving United side really is.
