Manchester United will continue their preparations for the 2022-23 campaign with a pre-season friendly against Australian side Melbourne Victory on Friday.
The 20-time English champions recorded a 4-0 win over Liverpool in their first pre-season fixture on Tuesday, with Jadon Sancho, Fred, Anthony Martial and Facundo Pellistri on the scoresheet.
Man United have now touched down in Australia for their next three matches, facing Victory on Friday, Crystal Palace on July 19 and Aston Villa on July 23 before returning to Europe.
New head coach Erik ten Hag will be looking for another strong performance from his players on Friday, and with that in mind, Sports Mole picks out three talking points ahead of the contest with the A-League Men side.
Anthony Martial to continue through the middle?
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In Cristiano Ronaldo's absence, Ten Hag is said to be keen to give Martial a run through the middle over the course of pre-season, with the Frenchman back at the club after an unsuccessful loan spell at Sevilla.
Earlier this summer, it appeared certain that the attacker would be leaving Old Trafford in the current window, but it now seems likely that he will stay, as the Red Devils are hardly blessed with forwards at this moment.
Martial starred through the middle in the first half against Liverpool on Tuesday and capped his performance with a brilliant goal to send Man United 3-0 ahead against their bitter rivals.
The France international has represented his current side on 269 occasions since his arrival from Monaco in 2015, scoring 79 times in all competitions, in addition to contributing 50 assists.
He scored 23 goals and registered 12 assists in 48 outings while playing as a centre-forward during the 2019-20 campaign, and Ten Hag might feel that he can get a tune out of the forward in the new season.
Tyrell Malacia to make full debut for Red Devils?
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Tyrell Malacia's debut for the Red Devils came off the bench against Liverpool on Tuesday, and he made a strong impression during his 45 minutes on the field.
The 22-year-old will now be hoping to be given the opportunity to play from the first whistle, with Ten Hag expected to make changes to his starting XI for the clash with Victory.
At this moment, Luke Shaw is seemingly in charge of the left-back spot ahead of the new season, but Malacia will be looking to impress in pre-season with a view to becoming first choice in that area of the field.
Ten Hag was able to watch the defender closely during his time at Feyenoord, and he has been very complimentary of the Netherlands international since his arrival.
Alex Telles played as a centre-back in the second half against Liverpool, suggesting that it is now Shaw and Malacia as the two left-backs in the first-team spot, which could lead to Telles moving on.
Harry Maguire to return at the heart of the defence?
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Ten Hag recently confirmed that Harry Maguire would remain club captain for the 2022-23 campaign despite his struggles for the club last term.
The England international, having been given a huge vote of confidence, will now be looking to put a difficult campaign behind him and return to his top level for the Red Devils.
Maguire was not involved against Liverpool on Tuesday, with the central defender absent for the contest due to a slight knock that he picked up in training.
The 29-year-old was forced to train individually on Monday and missed out on the squad the following day, but he is expected to be fit to face Victory on Friday.
Maguire will be looking to put down his mark with a strong performance against the Australian outfit and prove Ten Hag right for allowing him to keep hold of the captain's armband.
Matt Law
