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Manchester United begin their six-match pre-season schedule this weekend when they face Championship side Wrexham in Finland, marking the first step in their preparations for the 2026/27 campaign.

After a challenging start to the 2025/26 season, Michael Carrick’s appointment proved transformative for the Red Devils. Having now signed a permanent contract, Carrick led United back into the Champions League and is gearing up for yet another demanding campaign ahead.

This fixture will present Carrick with his first opportunity to assess his squad in competitive action, as well as to offer valuable minutes to emerging academy players and recent arrivals. The newly-signed Andrey Santos, acquired from Chelsea last week, is expected to make his debut in this encounter.

Wrexham, meanwhile, narrowly missed out on a Championship play-off berth last season, finishing just two points adrift of Hull City. The Welsh club have already played one pre-season friendly this summer, holding Wisla Krakow to a goalless draw in Poland.

Manchester United’s clash with Wrexham is set for a 4pm BST kick-off on Saturday, July 18, 2026, at the Helsingin Olympiastadion in Helsinki, Finland.

Live stream: The entire pre-season campaign for Manchester United will be shown exclusively on MUTV, the club’s in-house channel, available by subscription at £7.99 per month.

Live blog: Supporters can also follow all the live match updates through Standard Sport’s dedicated matchday blog.

Andrey Santos is tipped to make his first appearance for United after completing his switch from Chelsea earlier this month. However, new signing Youri Tielemans is unlikely to feature, as the Belgian midfielder continues his post-World Cup break.

Several senior players have already returned to training at Carrington, including Ayden Heaven, Leny Yoro, Joshua Zirkzee, Harry Maguire, Mason Mount, and Benjamin Sesko, all of whom could feature in some capacity.

Many of United’s international stars who participated in the summer’s World Cup are still on vacation and are not expected to be involved in this match, including captain Bruno Fernandes.

Carrick is likely to use this opportunity to field a number of academy prospects. Jack Fletcher, who broke into the senior team towards the end of last season, could see game time, while fit-again Harry Amass is eager to impress after returning from a loan spell with Norwich City.

On the Wrexham side, Liberato Cacace is expected to be included after representing New Zealand at the World Cup.

For Carrick and his squad, the primary objective in this opening pre-season fixture is not necessarily victory but integration and experimentation. The focus will be on blending new signings, testing tactical setups, and assessing fitness levels rather than the final scoreline.

Given that Wrexham are already one match into their pre-season schedule, they may have a sharper edge, while United could still show signs of early rust. Nevertheless, the Premier League giants should take confidence into the contest. A draw seems the most balanced prediction here.

Predicted score: Draw, 2-2.

The last competitive meeting between Manchester United and Wrexham took place in the 1995 FA Cup fourth round, which United won 5-2. Goals on that day came from Denis Irwin, Ryan Giggs, and Brian McClair among others.

Historically, United have triumphed in all five of their competitive fixtures against Wrexham, keeping clean sheets in four of them.

Manchester United wins: 5

Wrexham wins: 0

Draws: 0