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Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has said that the players who started in the pre-season friendly against Atletico Madrid on Saturday won't feature against Rayo Vallecano on Sunday, July 31. The Red Devils suffered a 1-0 defeat against Atletico on July 30 at the Ullevaal Stadion in Oslo, with Joao Felix scoring the only goal of the game.
United are set to play their last pre-season friendly of the summer against Rayo Vallecano on July 31 at Old Trafford with a new starting XI. Ten Hag said that while the players starting against Atletico won't be involved against Vallecano, the players who came off the bench could play their part.
He said (via Manchester Evening News):
“The players who played today from the start, they will not come on tomorrow. So tomorrow, we will have a different starting XI. But there are players who came on who can start tomorrow.”
So, the likes of David de Gea, Harry Maguire, Tyrell Malacia, Bruno Fernandes, Anthony Elanga, Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial won't feature against Vallecano on Sunday.
One player who's expected to play the game is Cristiano Ronaldo. The forward didn't take part in the club's pre-season tour of Thailand and Australia, citing family reasons. He joined training earlier this week and is likely to feature against Vallecano. Regarding the Portuguese ace, Ten Hag said (via Football365):
“Cristiano Ronaldo will play against Rayo Vallecano. Yes, he will be in the squad tomorrow. We’ll see how long he can play.”
Manchester United will commence their Premier League campaign at home against Brighton & Hove Albion on August 7.
Manchester United's bright start under Erik ten Hag
While it's only pre-season, the Red Devils have started well under their new manager.
After an abysmal 2021-22 campaign under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Ralf Rangnick, United have reason for optimism ahead of the new season. They finished sixth in the Premier League last season, extending their trophyless run to five years. However, they've won three of their five pre-season games so far, losing one and drawing the other.
United beat Liverpool 4-0 and followed that up with 4-1 and 3-1 wins over Melbourne Victory and Crystal Palace respectively. They were held to a 2-2 draw against Aston Villa before losing 1-0 against Atletico Madrid on Saturday.
Fans will hope the 13-time Premier League champions will continue their progress as the new season begins in a week's time.
