Manchester United are looking into the possibility of holding a behind-closed-doors friendly this week to get two players ready for their Premier League opener against Arsenal.
Ruben Amorim’s side kick-start their 2025-26 Premier League campaign with a mouth-watering clash with Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal next weekend.
United concluded their official pre-season schedule with a 1-1 draw with Fiorentina on Saturday.
Manchester United’s pre-season also included games against Premier League rivals Leeds United, West Ham, Bournemouth and Everton.
Speaking after the Fiorentina game, Amorim said he ‘had an idea’ of the team he would pick to face Arsenal at Old Trafford on Sunday.
Your ultimate guide to the football season
In The Mixer: Exclusive analysis, FPL tips and transfer talk sent straight to your inbox every week – sign up, it’s an open goal.
However, he also urged his players to show ‘fight’ in training this week to ‘change his mind’.
Many of those players may be given a final chance to stake their claim in a behind-closed-doors friendly that Manchester United are considering organising.
According to The Times, United are exploring the viability of a game at Carrington against a ‘local rival’ to give Benjamin Sesko and Andre Onana some ‘real world’ training.
Sesko was unveiled to Manchester United fans at Old Trafford on Sunday following his £74m move from RB Leipzig.
It remains to be seen whether Sesko starts against Arsenal next week given he will barely have any training sessions with his new teammates.
Ruben Amorim happy to have ‘selection headaches’
‘That [a selection headache] is a good thing, it is supposed to be like that, not like last season that we have to struggle to put 11 players on the pitch.
‘This is the normal thing so I need to think and they [the players] need to fight during the week, so they can change my mind, I have an idea but they will change my mind during the week.
‘It is going to be tough because we try to arrange a full week of training, so we will have two really strong sessions with time to work and then we are going to break a little bit and then two days to really think about the strategy for the game and we will be ready.’
Ruben Amorim speaking after Manchester United’s final pre-season friendly against Fiorentina
Amorim opted to play Mason Mount as a false nine against Fiorentina, with Rasmus Hojlund left on the bench ahead of his likely transfer exit.
As well as giving Sesko some game-time, a behind-closed-doors friendly would also give Onana the chance to prove his fitness after he missed the entirety of pre-season with a hamstring injury.
Manchester United believe Onana should be fit for Arsenal’s trip to the Theatre of Dreams, but if not Altay Bayindir will have to cover United’s No. 1.
But neither Onana or Bayindir have inspired confidence and United have shown interest in a number of new goalkeepers during the summer transfer window.
An ex-Manchester United goalkeeper, David de Gea, hopes his former club can ‘do something big’ this season following the signings of Sesko, Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo.
‘Sometimes this is football, you can’t win all the time,’ De Gea said after his emotional return to Old Trafford with Fiorentina. ‘I know it’s been some years that United struggle a bit but it’s one of the best clubs in the world.
‘It’s a massive club and hopefully this year with the new signings and the manager starting a new era they can do something big and that’s it.
‘Hopefully this year they can win something and be there where they deserve.’
Manchester United’s first Premier League opponents Arsenal finished third for the third year in a row last season.
The Gunners have spent around £200m on new recruits this summer, bringing the likes of Viktor Gyokeres, Martin Zubimendi and Noni Madueke to the Emirates Stadium.
For more stories like this, check our sport page.
Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.