Top News

Manchester United begin their six-match pre-season schedule today with a clash against Wrexham in Finland.

Following a challenging start to the 2025/26 season, Michael Carrick’s appointment as manager proved transformational, reviving United’s campaign and ultimately guiding them back into the Champions League. Now, with a permanent contract in place, Carrick is preparing for what promises to be another demanding season.

This opening fixture offers him a first opportunity to assess his squad in action, providing game time to both academy prospects and new arrivals. Among them is Andrey Santos, who recently completed his move from Chelsea and is expected to make his debut.

Wrexham, on the other hand, narrowly missed out on a Championship play-off berth last season, finishing just two points behind Hull City. The Welsh club have already featured in one pre-season encounter this summer, holding Wisla Krakow to a goalless draw in Poland last week.

The friendly between Manchester United and Wrexham is set to kick off at 4pm BST today, Saturday, July 18, 2026. The match will be hosted at the Helsingin Olympiastadion in Helsinki, Finland.

Live stream: Manchester United’s entire pre-season campaign will be available on the club’s official channel MUTV, accessible to subscribers at £7.99 per month.

Live blog: Supporters can keep up with all the minute-by-minute updates on matchday through Standard Sport’s live blog.

Andrey Santos is tipped to make his first appearance for Manchester United after his transfer from Chelsea. However, Youri Tielemans, another summer acquisition, will not feature as he remains on post-World Cup leave following Belgium’s campaign.

Defenders: Harry Maguire, Patrick Chinazaekpere Dorgu, Leny Yoro, Luke Shaw, Ayden Heaven, Harry Amass, Jaydan Kamason, Dan Armer.

Midfielders: Mason Mount, Andrey Santos, Jack Fletcher, Tyler Fletcher, Toby Collyer, Dan Gore, Jacob Devaney, Jim Thwaites.

Forwards: Joshua Zirkzee, Bryan Mbeumo, Chido Obi, Ethan Wheatley, Shea Lacey, Ethan Williams.

Debut pending: Andrey Santos.

For Wrexham, Liberato Cacace is expected to return to action after representing New Zealand at the World Cup.

For Carrick and his team, the result itself is of secondary importance in this opening fixture, as the focus will be on performance, fitness and tactical experimentation. With new players to integrate and strategies to test, United may show early signs of rust, particularly against a Wrexham side already one match into their pre-season preparations.

Wrexham are expected to be strong promotion contenders in the upcoming season, but United will still be confident heading into this contest. A draw seems the most likely outcome at this stage.

Prediction: Draw, 2-2.

The last competitive meeting between these two clubs dates back to 1995, when Manchester United triumphed 5-2 in the FA Cup fourth round. Goals on that occasion came from Denis Irwin, Ryan Giggs, and Brian McClair among others.

Historically, United have dominated this fixture, winning all five of their competitive encounters with Wrexham and keeping clean sheets in four of them.

Manchester United wins: 5

Wrexham wins: 0

Draws: 0