Manchester United have arrived in Melbourne ahead of the Australian leg of their pre-season tour.
The Red Devils departed Thailand shortly after their 4-0 win over Liverpool in Bangkok on Tuesday. Jadon Sancho, Anthony Martial, Fred and Facundo Pellistri all got on the scoresheet against Jurgen Klopp ’s men on what was a thoroughly satisfying evening for Erik ten Hag.
Whilst the Dutchman will not read too much into the result - the game intended to get the side up to the required fitness levels - it was still an excellent way for the former Ajax schemer to begin his tenure at the club.
The Red Devils’ pre-season commitments continue in Australia with a trio of friendlies to come. They first take on A-League side Melbourne Victory on Friday before clashes against fellow Premier League sides Crystal Palace and Aston Villa.
The side have already arrived in the country ahead of those games, Ten Hag having been joined by his squad and coaching staff. After stepping off the coach, the Dutchman spent some time waving at supporters before going into the team hotel.
Most players selected for the pre-season tour were present, with captain Harry Maguire also among those to have greeted supporters. There are however a couple of players who were not in attendance, the most notable name of which is Cristiano Ronaldo.
Where will Man Utd finish this season? Share your predictions in the comments below
The Portuguese forward failed to report for the club’s return for pre-season training due to family reasons after submitting a request to leave the club. He was also absent from the Red Devils’ trip to Thailand, whilst the striker is also not in Australia.
It remains to be seen when or even if he will report for action ahead of the season or manages to secure a move away from the club. Despite that, Ten Hag has reaffirmed his intentions for Ronaldo to be in his plans for the 2022/23 campaign.
He said: “He is not with us, and it is due to personal reasons. We are planning with Cristiano Ronaldo for this season. That’s it and I’m looking forward to working with him.”
He added: “Cristiano is in our plans and we want to get success together.”
Another player who is also not in Melbourne is defender Axel Tuanzebe. The Red Devils’ academy graduate was expected to leave the club this summer after underwhelming during loan spells with Aston Villa and Napoli last term.
He was named on the club’s original squad list for the tour of Asia and Australia but has returned back to Manchester. A United spokesperson said: “Axel returned back to Manchester this morning to deal with a small personal issue.”
Ahead of the clash with Aston Villa, Steven Gerrard has already assessed the Red Devils having watched them in action against Liverpool. Speaking to 10 News First, he said: “ Manchester United, obviously, the name speaks for itself. They’ve been a rival of mine from a personal point of view for many years.
“New manager and I watched their game against Liverpool. It looks like they’ll have a different style, to be more aggressive and on the front foot. We’ll prepare for that.”
