Manchester United Prepare for PSG with Youri Tielemans Amid Key Absences
Manchester United will roll out a new midfield star against the European champions this weekend, but they will do it without their first-choice goalkeeper and a key forward.
Youri Tielemans is set to pull on a United shirt for the first time when Michael Carrick’s side face Paris Saint-Germain in Gothenburg on Saturday, with Bruno Fernandes also back in the fold. Senne Lammens and Matheus Cunha, though, are staying at home.
Tielemans era begins
Tielemans only joined up with the squad last week, his summer break extended after helping Belgium reach the World Cup quarter-finals in North America. The club moved for him last month, paying around £35million to take him from Aston Villa on a five-year deal that runs until 2031.
He watched from afar as United beat Atletico Madrid 2-1 in the Snapdragon Cup at Stockholm’s Strawberry Arena, but there will be no holding him back this time. Carrick has named the 29-year-old in his 22-man travelling party for the clash with PSG at the Nya Ullevi Stadium, and the expectation is clear: this is the moment for his first United appearance.
For a midfield that already includes Fernandes and Mason Mount, Tielemans’ arrival adds another passing rhythm, another set-piece threat, another leader. Carrick, now in his first pre-season as permanent manager, suddenly has options where United were once thin.
Captain returns, but key absentees bite
Fernandes is also ready to step back into the side. The captain reported for duty this week after his own post-World Cup holiday, joined by Portugal team-mate Diogo Dalot, Brazilian forward Cunha and Morocco defender Noussair Mazraoui.
On paper, that looks like a strong influx of experience. In reality, United will still be short in key areas when they walk out to meet the back-to-back European champions.
Cunha, despite rejoining the group, will not feature in Sweden. Nor will Lammens, the first-choice goalkeeper who returned to training on the same day as Tielemans. Both players will remain at Carrington to “fully recover from non-related minor illnesses”, with the club expecting them to link up again during next week’s training camp in the Republic of Ireland.
The knock-on effect is significant between the posts. With Lammens unavailable, new signing Karl Darlow also out, and Altay Bayindir and Radek Vitek having departed for Celta Vigo and Middlesbrough respectively, Carrick is down to the veteran Tom Heaton as his senior option. Behind him, Dermot Mee and teenager Fred Heath will provide cover.
Up front, the absence of Cunha is compounded by the continued sidelining of Benjamin Sesko. The striker is still nursing a shin injury that has lingered from last season, leaving United light of a natural No9 against one of Europe’s most ruthless sides.
Injuries, holidays and a stretched squad
The picture is no clearer at the back. Matthijs de Ligt remains unavailable as he works his way back from a long-term back injury. Kobbie Mainoo, Marcus Rashford and Lisandro Martinez are all still on holiday after their World Cup exertions and will only rejoin the squad once they land in Ireland.
The result is a squad that looks like a blend of heavyweight names and raw potential. Fifteen-year-old JJ Gabriel, who made his senior debut off the bench in the win over Atletico, is not involved this time. Nor are fellow youngsters Jim Thwaites, Jaydan Kamason and Ethan Williams.
Heath steps in for Bayindir, while Harry Amass, Dan Armer, Jack Fletcher, Tyler Fletcher and Shea Lacey all keep their places. Joshua Zirkzee, heavily linked with a summer exit, also travels, his future a subplot to a pre-season that is already carrying a lot of storylines.
Carrick’s first full pre-season takes shape
The PSG meeting is the start of a defining stretch for Carrick. After Gothenburg, United head to Ireland for a training camp that will serve as the staging ground for his first Premier League campaign as permanent manager.
That camp includes a high-profile date with Leeds at Croke Park in Dublin on August 12, followed by a final summer outing against AC Milan in Wroclaw, Poland, on August 15.
Then comes the real thing. United open their league season away to Championship play-off winners Hull on August 22, a fixture that will offer the first hard evidence of how far Carrick has moved this squad since his successful interim spell.
For now, all eyes are on Sweden. A debut for Tielemans, the return of Fernandes, a patched-up goalkeeping department and a forward line missing key pieces — it is not the perfect preparation for facing the champions of Europe.
But pre-season rarely offers perfection. It offers clues. How many will Carrick’s United reveal against PSG?
