Manchester United Names Trimmed Squad for Atletico Madrid Friendly

Manchester United’s pre-season steps into sharper focus this weekend, and a 15-year-old is on the plane for the toughest assignment yet.

Michael Carrick has confirmed a 23-man squad for Saturday’s friendly against Atletico Madrid in Stockholm, with JJ Gabriel again included after catching the eye around the first-team group. The youngster is still waiting for a senior appearance, but his presence among established internationals underlines how highly he is regarded inside the club.

The opposition at the Strawberry Arena is a clear upgrade. After a 5-0 stroll against Rosenborg in Trondheim, United now face Diego Simeone’s battle-hardened Atletico, a side that rarely treats any game as a gentle run-out. The stakes are still pre-season, but the standard jumps.

Carrick has gone slightly lighter on numbers than for the earlier trips to Helsinki and Trondheim, trimming the group and sharpening the focus. Several players only just back in first-team training have stayed behind, but two familiar names return from international duty to stiffen the squad.

Altay Bayindir and Amad, both back at Carrington at the start of the week after their World Cup involvement, are in the travelling party and in contention for minutes. Their inclusion gives United a more seasoned edge at both ends of the pitch as the tour schedule toughens.

Not everyone was ready in time. Belgian pair Senne Lammens and Youri Tielemans reported in on Thursday, yet the Atletico fixture arrives too quickly for them to be involved. Their pre-season integration will have to wait.

For Gabriel, the journey continues. He was one of only two outfield players not used in the win over Rosenborg, alongside midfielder Jim Thwaites, who has been an unused substitute in both friendlies so far. Both travel again, hoping the step up in opposition coincides with a first taste of senior football.

The tightening of the squad means others miss out. Toby Collyer, Dan Gore, Jacob Devaney and Chido Obi, all involved previously, drop out this time as Carrick narrows his options ahead of the new campaign.

United squad to face Atletico Madrid

• Goalkeepers: Altay Bayindir, Tom Heaton, Mee, Vitek.
• Defenders: Harry Amass, Armer, Dorgu, Heaven, Kamason, Harry Maguire, Luke Shaw, Leny Yoro.
• Midfielders: J. Fletcher, T. Fletcher, Mason Mount, Santos, Jim Thwaites.

A sterner opponent, a smaller group, and a teenager chasing a debut in Stockholm. Pre-season now starts to look a little more like the real thing.