Manchester United youngsters eyeing pre-season spots: The academy talents who could feature against Wrexham and Rosenborg

Manchester United begin their 2025/26 pre-season preparations on 18 July against Championship promotion hopefuls Wrexham in Helsinki — the day before the 2026 World Cup final — followed by a potential fixture against Norwegian club Rosenborg on 24 July. The timing creates a significant opportunity for the club’s emerging talent, with a number of senior squad members unavailable due to the minimum three-week rest period required between the end of one season and the start of the next.

Among the current squad, Patrick Dorgu, Bryan Mbeumo, and Benjamin Sesko all represent nations that have not qualified for the World Cup. Luke Shaw, Mason Mount, Leny Yoro, and Ayden Heaven are not expected to be selected, while centre-back Matthijs de Ligt appears unlikely to earn a Netherlands call-up given his injury record. Goalkeeper Andre Onana remains under contract at Old Trafford but is currently on loan at Turkish club Trabzonspor. That combination of absences points toward a significant number of academy players travelling to Finland.

Academy under-21 coach Adam Lawrence confirmed that no formal decisions have yet been made regarding pre-season involvement. “At the end of the season and the start of next we will sit down and look at the individual pathways and programmes for the players,” Lawrence said. “There will be some that hopefully, if their performance levels — and where they’re at — deserves, will be involved with the first team in pre-season. When you get those opportunities, then it’s down to the player to perform and give a good impression of themselves.”

The backdrop to these decisions includes genuine youth-level competition. At under-21 level, Lawrence’s side defeated Sunderland on Sunday to secure a Premier League 2 play-off quarter-final away trip to Crystal Palace. Darren Fletcher’s under-18 squad, meanwhile, may fall short of the Premier League North title to Manchester City, but face their rivals in the FA Youth Cup final — a fixture whose date remains unconfirmed due to scheduling complications surrounding Pep Guardiola’s title-chasing senior team.

Wide forward Shea Lacey, 19, is arguably the furthest along the pathway. He has made three senior substitute appearances and been named on the bench 11 times this season, including against Brentford on a matchday when he had scored for the under-21s the previous day. Lawrence has publicly stated the England Under-20 international — a left-footed player who operates on the right flank — is transitioning into the senior squad on a full-time basis.

At the other end of the experience spectrum sits JJ Gabriel, a 15-year-old who leads the Premier League Under-18 scoring charts. His speed and balance have drawn considerable attention, and he has trained with the first team on a regular basis this season. His age — he was 14 at the start of the campaign — has been the primary constraint on accelerating his progression further.

Goalkeeper Radek Vitek, 22, signed a new contract with United in July 2024 running until 2028 and has had a strong loan spell at Bristol City. In an interview with BBC Sport last month, Vitek made clear his priority is regular playing time. With first-choice keeper Senne Lammens expected to be with Belgium at the World Cup, Vitek is likely to remain at Old Trafford for the early part of pre-season before further decisions are taken on his long-term pathway.

Striker Chido Obi, a Denmark Under-21 international, made eight first-team appearances during the previous campaign but has had limited involvement this season, with one bench appearance against Fulham in February. He has featured in Premier League 2 and Youth Cup matches and, like Vitek, is expected to start pre-season at the club before a summer decision on his future.

Left-back Harry Amass, 19, spent time on loan at Sheffield Wednesday before Norwich City sought him in January to support their Championship play-off push. A hamstring injury limited him to a single appearance for the Canaries and ended his season prematurely, but he is expected to be fully fit for pre-season.

In central midfield, Tyler Fletcher — son of under-18 coach Darren Fletcher and twin brother of Jack — has emerged as a holding midfielder of note, earning his senior debut from Michael Carrick in February and subsequently appearing on the first-team bench on 11 further occasions. The Scotland youth international’s awareness and defensive positioning have drawn positive assessments. Twin brother Jack made his first-team debut ahead of Tyler, with three substitute appearances in December, though he has since featured on the bench less frequently. Both are expected to be in contention for pre-season involvement as the club prepares for its opening fixtures next month.