Man United vs. Wrexham: Three talking points as Michael Carrick's side begin their preparations for the new campaign

Manchester United will kick off their preparations for the 2026-27 campaign with a pre-season friendly against Wrexham in Helsinski, Finland on Saturday afternoon.

The Red Devils have travelled with a strong squad, with a number of first-team players set to feature, although many are absent due to their involvement in the 2026 World Cup, either ongoing or previous.

There will also be chances for younger players to make their mark, potentially doing enough to force their way into the thinking of head coach Michael Carrick for the new season, which begins for Man United against Hull City on August 22.

It will not be a regular pre-season due to the World Cup, with Man United staying in Europe for their friendly fixtures, facing Rosenborg, Atletico Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain, Leeds United and AC Milan after this one.

Here, Sports Mole picks out three main talking points ahead of the contest.

Santos in line to make Man United debut

Only one of Man United's three summer signings has been named in the squad for this match, with Andrey Santos in line to make his first appearance for the club.

Goalkeeper Karl Darlow will not feature, as he recovers from a procedure that he had at the end of last season, while Youri Tielemans played for Belgium at the World Cup and is not due to link up with his new teammates until August.

However, the Man United fans in attendance will almost certainly get to see one of their new players in action, with Santos set to feature at some stage of the interest.

The Brazilian is a £50m summer arrival from Chelsea, and it will be fascinating to see how the 22-year-old fits in at Man United in the coming months.

Amass, Lacey, Obi among youngsters looking to impress

There is experience in the Man United squad, with Leny Yoro, Patrick Dorgu, Ayden Heaven, Harry Maguire, Luke Shaw, Mason Mount, Bryan Mbeumo and Joshua Zirkzee all available for selection against the Championship outfit.

However, a number of youngsters will be looking to impress, including Harry Amass, Shea Lacey and Chibo Obi - three incredibly talented teenagers.

All have had the experience of representing Man United's first team, and it will be fascinating to see what happens with the trio in the coming campaign.

There have been claims that Obi could head out on loan, but some strong performances during pre-season could put him in Carrick's thoughts; the same could also be said for Amass, as Man United are currently short at left-back.

Lacey is an incredibly talented wide player, meanwhile, and he is expected to be heavily involved in Man United's pre-season preparations.

JJ Gabriel - Man United's most promising youngster - is not in the squad for this match, having only just returned from an extended break, but he is set to feature in the coming games.

Is Sesko's absence a cause for concern?

Sesko missed the end of the 2025-26 campaign with a shin injury that he aggravated during the Premier League clash with Liverpool on May 3.

The striker did not feature against Sunderland, Nottingham Forest or Brighton & Hove Albion in Man United's final three games of the season, and he is again absent from this squad.

A statement on Man United's official website read: "Benjamin Sesko has remained at Carrington Training Complex as he continues to work towards full fitness after missing the final three games of last season.

"Karl Darlow will also stay in Manchester with the new signing in the final stages of recovering from a procedure that he had at the end of last season. Both players are expected to be fully fit and available for the start of 2026/27."

As a result, there should be no concerns over Sesko, who scored 12 times during his debut season at Man United, but it is unclear at this stage whether he will be involved in the team's second pre-season friendly of the summer against Rosenborg on July 24.