Manchester United ended their pre-season campaign on a sour note, suffering a 4-2 defeat to AC Milan in Wroclaw with just one week until the Premier League begins.
Michael Carrick’s side twice took the lead against the Italian side before ultimately being overpowered, leaving the manager with clear tactical questions to address before competitive football resumes.
The timing is far from ideal, with United set to face promoted Hull City in their Premier League opener this coming Saturday in what will be Carrick’s first competitive test of the season.
There were some positives to draw from the occasion, with Marcus Rashford, Kobbie Mainoo, and Lisandro Martinez all making their first pre-season appearances during the match.
Skipper Bruno Fernandes and Youri Tielemans both played the full 90 minutes, suggesting the first team’s experienced core remains in reasonable shape heading into the new campaign.
Mason Mount’s ongoing fitness concern does linger, however, after a foot issue first picked up in Gothenburg a week ago has now kept the midfielder out for almost three full games.
United showed vulnerability when Milan switched play to their right, with Luke Shaw caught covering too much ground without adequate support from those in front of him.
The gaps between United’s defensive and midfield lines were not dramatic, but they were consistently left uncovered, and recent signing Andrey Santos found his inexperience exposed during a difficult afternoon in Poland.
Three of Milan’s four goals came from close range, and those watching with the benefit of replays felt at least one of them may have been offside, though no VAR system was in operation in Wroclaw.
Ruben Loftus-Cheek capped a damaging afternoon for United by racing beyond Martinez and driving a shot past Senne Lammens, with the goalkeeper having already prevented the scoreline from looking significantly worse.
Speaking after the final whistle, Carrick offered a frank assessment of the performance, saying: “We are disappointed with today. We didn’t play very well. There are no excuses.”
The defeat carries additional weight given that Milan were managed by Ruben Amorim, the former Manchester United head coach whose decision to exile Rashford from the squad set in motion a lengthy period of uncertainty around the 28-year-old’s future.
Rashford had not appeared for his boyhood club since a Europa League trip to Viktoria Plzen on 12 December 2024, after which he was loaned out to Aston Villa and then Barcelona.
He was introduced from the bench with an hour gone, applauding the positive reception from United supporters as he prepared to enter the action for the first time in over seven months.
United officials were quick to stress that the number nine shirt Rashford wore in Poland was not a permanent arrangement, seeking to manage expectations around any kit purchases from supporters.
Carrick had several opportunities during media duties in Maynooth on Thursday to confirm Rashford’s future, but stopped short of providing any firm assurance that the forward would remain beyond the 1 September transfer deadline.
Patrick Dorgu and Harry Maguire were United’s scorers on the day, while Rashford’s cameo included a sharp piece of skill by the corner flag that brought many in the crowd to their feet.
As a reintroduction it was measured rather than explosive, but with Premier League fixtures against Hull and Ipswich to come, far more significant tests of both Rashford and Carrick’s United lie just around the corner.
