Manchester United have named a smaller travelling squad for Atletico Madrid in Stockholm, with Amad Diallo and Altay Bayındır back from World Cup duty. J. Gabriel, 15, is still in the group and hoping to make his first senior appearance. Several senior players are still missing, so this is more about the make-up of the squad than the friendly itself.
The returns and the teenager still involved
The clearest headline is the return of Amad and Bayındır. Sports Mole said both had come back into the squad for the Atletico game, and the Manchester Evening News added that Gabriel has been included at 15, with the chance to push for a debut. That is a fairly striking mix for a pre-season trip: two players back from international duty, one teenager still hanging around the first-team picture.
Amad’s summer has already included three World Cup appearances and 155 minutes, which at least gives Manchester United some match rhythm in a squad that has been reduced by absences. Bayındır’s presence is part of that picture too, even if his longer-term status is not settled.
The absences still shaping the group
There are still gaps all over the squad. Senne Lammens and Youri Tielemans checked in on Thursday, but this game came too soon for them. Benjamin Šeško is out with a shin injury and has not featured in pre-season yet, although he is expected back for the PSG friendly next weekend.
Seven World Cup players remain away: Lisandro Martinez, Matheus Cunha, Diogo Dalot, Bruno Fernandes, Kobbie Mainoo, Noussair Mazraoui and Marcus Rashford. Toby Collyer, Dan Gore, Jacob Devaney and Chido Obi have also been left out of the travelling party.
That is why the squad is smaller than the groups that went to Helsinki for Wrexham and Trondheim for the 5-0 win against Rosenborg. United may still have finished their league campaign with four wins and one draw in their last five, but pre-season has quickly become about availability, not form. Atletico, who finished fourth in the La Liga snapshot, should still give the rotated group a proper test.
The next marker is the PSG friendly next weekend, when Šeško is expected to be back and more of the missing players may have returned as well.
Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 2 outlets. How we work →
