Manchester United 23-Man Squad for Atletico Madrid Test
Manchester United’s pre-season steps into sharper focus on Saturday, and Michael Carrick has made his intentions clear with a streamlined 23-man squad for the meeting with Atletico Madrid in Stockholm.
The opposition is a step up. So is the scrutiny.
Bayindir and Amad back in the fold
Altay Bayindir and Amad, fresh from World Cup duty and back at Carrington at the start of the week, both travel to the Strawberry Arena. Their inclusion gives the squad a more senior edge for what will be United’s sternest examination of the summer so far against Diego Simeone’s side.
Belgian pair Senne Lammens and Youri Tielemans reported in on Thursday, but this fixture arrives too quickly for them. Carrick has opted not to rush either player, keeping faith instead with the group that has carried the bulk of the workload in Helsinki and Trondheim.
Teenager Gabriel stays on the big stage
Among them is 15-year-old JJ Gabriel, whose name again jumps off the teamsheet. The youngster was one of only two outfield players not to see the pitch in last Friday’s 5-0 dismantling of Rosenborg, and he is still waiting on a first senior appearance. The stage in Stockholm, against La Liga opposition, would be a serious place to start.
Jim Thwaites, the other outfield player unused so far, also keeps his place in the travelling party. He has been on the bench for both games and remains in contention for minutes as Carrick shuffles his midfield options.
The squad itself is slightly leaner than the larger groups that travelled to face Wrexham in Helsinki and Rosenborg in Trondheim. This feels closer to a rehearsal than an experiment.
Notable omissions as standards rise
Toby Collyer, Dan Gore, Jacob Devaney and Chido Obi all drop out of the squad this time. Their absence underlines the rising bar as United move from early pre-season tune-ups to a more serious test against Simeone’s well-drilled Atletico.
Those who only just returned to first-team training this week have not made the trip, a calculated decision as Carrick balances conditioning with the need to sharpen his core group against elite opposition.
The 23-man squad in full
- Goalkeepers: Bayindir, Heaton, Mee, Vitek.
- Defenders: Amass, Armer, Dorgu, Heaven, Kamason, Maguire, Shaw, Yoro.
- Midfielders: J. Fletcher, T. Fletcher, Mount, Santos, Thwaites.
The names tell their own story: a blend of established figures, emerging prospects, and one 15-year-old forward looking at Atletico Madrid and seeing not just a pre-season friendly, but an opening.
