Rashford, Mainoo and three others to miss Man Utd pre-season as Carrick begins first full campaign

Manchester United begin pre-season training on Thursday without at least five first-team players, with Michael Carrick’s permanent tenure as manager kicking off in the shadow of the ongoing 2026 World Cup.

Carrick was appointed on a two-year deal — with the option of a third — after guiding United to a third-place Premier League finish last season and securing Champions League football. Expectations are high at Old Trafford heading into the 2026/27 campaign, but the new manager will have to work with a reduced squad for the opening days of pre-season.

England internationals Marcus Rashford and Kobbie Mainoo are among those absent, with the pair preparing for England’s quarter-final against Norway on Saturday. Rashford, 28, is expected to return to Manchester after the tournament, though his long-term future at the club remains uncertain.

Lisandro Martinez is also missing, competing in his second consecutive World Cup with Argentina. Goalkeeper Senne Lammens has served as back-up to Thibaut Courtois throughout the tournament with Belgium, who reached the quarter-finals after defeating the United States 4-1. Noussair Mazraoui, meanwhile, has been a standout performer for Morocco, who face France on Thursday.

Bruno Fernandes and Diogo Dalot saw their World Cup end in painful fashion on Monday, as Portugal were eliminated 1-0 by Spain in the round of 16, with Mikel Merino’s stoppage-time strike proving decisive. Whether players knocked out in earlier rounds will report back to Carrington immediately has not yet been confirmed.

Altay Bayindir’s Turkey and Tyler Fletcher’s Scotland both exited at the group stage, while Amad scored for Ivory Coast in the last 32 before they fell 2-1 to Norway. Matheus Cunha’s debut World Cup also ended in a 2-1 defeat to Norway, with Erling Haaland netting a late brace to take his tournament tally to seven goals.

Perhaps the most damaging news concerns Manuel Ugarte, whose summer ended in double heartbreak: Uruguay were eliminated in the group stage, and the midfielder suffered an ACL injury against Spain — an injury expected to keep him sidelined for a significant period.

United’s first pre-season friendly is scheduled for Saturday, July 18 against Wrexham, with further fixtures against Atletico Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain and AC Milan to follow before the Premier League season opens away to Hull City on Saturday, August 22.