Three Manchester United youngsters face crucial week with pre-season on horizon

It's been exactly one month since Manchester United closed the curtain on last season with an FA Cup final defeat to Manchester City, and yet preparations are about to get underway for 2023/2024.

Summers seem to be getting shorter for Premier League teams and a truncated campaign, caused in part by the decision to shoehorn a World Cup into the schedule, has constricted the off-season even further. Two June internationals have done little to help matters either.

United will welcome its first group of players back for pre-season this week, with the traditional round of physical testing to look forward to for those at Carrington. Next Wednesday, the available cohort will head to Oslo for the first of seven pre-season friendlies - barring the meeting with Wrexham in which a second-string side will play - against Leeds United.

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This week's group will be far from full strength, with United's players set to return for pre-season in two groups. 15 players were away on international duty last month and are entitled to a minimum three-week break, meaning they are scheduled to report back from July 10 onwards.

It means that Erik ten Hag's first week of preparations will largely be without his core of senior players, but it will provide a few of his more promising youngsters a chance to stake a claim for a place in next season's plans.

Amad Diallo enjoyed an excellent season on loan at Sunderland, his decision to drop into the Championship delivering exactly what he wanted. 39 appearances brought 14 goals, three