Jose Mourinho was left fuming last week after Manchester United game in the International Champions Cup against Manchester City was cancelled at the eleventh hour, due to extreme weather conditions and really poor playing surface. Before the derby friendly, United were battered by Borussia Dortmund 4-1. Mourinho will eager to get his team back on the pitch and resume the preseason schedule that was disrupted in China. United will now take on Turkish side Galatasaray on 30th July at Ullevi Stadium in Gothenburg, Sweden. It is important that Mourinho gets his new signing integrated and firing before the season kicks off on August 13th.
With players like Morgan Schneiderlin, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Marouane Fellaini, Anthony Martial, Matteo Darmian and summer signing Zlatan Ibrahimovic returning for preseason training, Mourinho will have a near full-strength squad to choose from. Galatasaray are coming into this match on the back of a 3-1 victory over Danish side AGF. It will be interesting to how Mourinho lines up his side, given that the returning players haven’t had much training yet and it could be a risk playing them when they are still rusty. Here we look at the expected United XI for the match against Galatasaray.
Goalkeeper: Sergio Romero
Romero is likely to start this ahead of Sam Johnstone, who had a rather forgetful night against Dortmund. David De Gea might come on in the second half given that it’s the final friendly before United take on Leicester in the Community Shield.
Defenders: Fosu-Mensah, Chris Smalling, Bailly and Luke Shaw
With most first team players back in training, Mourinho will have the perfect chance to test out different combination before the season starts. Fosu-Mensah has been excellent at right back and should keep his place in the team. Shaw who is still finding his touch after recovering from a horror double leg break last year will start on the left as he looks to cement his place in Mourinho’s starting XI for next season. New signing Bailly has been very impressive this summer, making him an ideal candidate to partner Smalling in central defense. The English international will be itching to get going following a disastrous European Championship in France this summer.
Midfielders: Anthony Martial, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Wayne Rooney, Marouane Fellaini and Morgan Schneiderlin
In central midfield, we could see a pairing of Fellaini and Schneiderlin. The Belgian international will have the freedom to move forward with the knowledge that his teammate is holding the fort at the back. Schneiderlin was part of the French squad that finished runner-ups at the Euros. Wayne Rooney is most likely to slot in behind the striker in a number 10 role, following Mourinho’s comments regarding his role in the team as an attacking player. Martial will most likely slot in at left-wing with former Borussia Dortmund player Mkhitaryan on the right.
Striker: Zlatan Ibrahimovic
Superstar Ibrahimovic joined his United teammates in training for the first time this week. It will not come as a surprise to anyone if the Swedish player starts as the lone striker up front against Galatasaray.