Orozco set for debut as United academy heads to Germany for pre-season friendlies

Cristian Orozco could make his Manchester United debut when the club’s academy group travels to Germany for a double-header against TSV 1860 Munich and FC Nurnberg at the Adi-Dassler Stadium, with both friendlies scheduled for the same afternoon.

Orozco’s transfer was completed on Monday, coinciding with his 18th birthday, and the young forward has already integrated into the PDP group — the club’s Under-17 to Under-21 setup. United are expected to give him time to settle, and English lessons have been arranged to ease the transition. He is not entirely unfamiliar with his new surroundings, having spent time at Carrington in December, but the trip to Germany should accelerate his bonding with the squad.

While Orozco looks ahead to a potential first appearance, JJ Gabriel continues to attract attention for his talent and his work ethic. The teenager carried out individual coaching sessions abroad during the off-season to maintain sharpness, and those one-to-one sessions with coach Jack Hunter — who also works with Aston Villa defender Ian Maatsen — have continued since Gabriel’s return to England for pre-season.

On the senior side, Michael Carrick will take a United squad to Helsinki on Saturday for a friendly against Wrexham. The travelling party is expected to be slightly smaller than the 29-man group that flew to Stockholm for last summer’s opening pre-season game against Leeds, but several academy graduates are likely to feature. Shea Lacey, Harry Amass, Tyler Fredricson, and Jack Fletcher all took part in the first senior training session back at Carrington and are considered certainties for the trip.

Toby Collyer, another academy graduate, will also be looking to impress Carrick after a frustrating loan spell at Hull City, where an ankle injury — sustained when a goalkeeper fell on him in training — disrupted his campaign. Collyer recently visited a medical specialist in Spain for a full health assessment ahead of what could be a pivotal season for his development.