Manchester United 2026-27 preview: Rashford returns, can Carrick restore the glory days?

How do you prepare for a 60-game season?

That appears to be the modus operandi for Manchester United as they head into the 2026-27 campaign. Michael Carrick and his coaching staff have spent pre-season moulding the playing squad into a unit capable of competing on four fronts and making a deep run into the Champions League knockouts. United’s recruitment team and senior executives appear focused on making the squad deeper, rather than chasing individuals at premium prices.

A new season brings a new season preview and many new questions to be answered.

Carrick’s men will return to action in a few days. Is this the season where Manchester United are truly back?

What are the expectations inside the club?

The mood around United is positive. The club opted against a lengthy pre-season trip to North America, Oceania, or East Asia, preferring a smaller-scale tour in which the squad swung back to the Carrington training ground after playing across a host of European cities.

A summer with less travel — and limited interviews and press conferences — means the most written-about football club on the planet are instead enjoying a period of relative calm. The team suffered two defeats in their six pre-season games but looked confident both on and off the ball. A top-five finish in the Premier League is a reasonable expectation, and they will hope to reach the Champions League quarter-finals for the first time since 2018-19.

Who have they signed?

Instead of entering prolonged transfer negotiations for an expensive successor to Casemiro, the club have looked for affordable alternatives.

Andrey Santos made the £50million ($67.6m) move from Stamford Bridge to Old Trafford, bringing clever interceptions and line-breaking passes to the base of Carrick’s midfield. The acquisition of Youri Tielemans was a welcome surprise, bringing additional midfield creativity and (hopefully) serving as a new mentor for Kobbie Mainoo and others. Karl Darlow is the new goalkeeping deputy.

Andrey Santos will help to fill the void left by Casemiro’s departure (David Fitzgerald/Sportsfile via Getty Images)

A proposed move for Atalanta midfielder Ederson was shelved after the Brazil international was a late call-up to the World Cup, and United have continued to sign promising young players who may initially play under-23 minutes before being fast-tracked to senior team football. Former Tottenham Hotspur academy prospect Tynan Thompson, 18, could offer something different on the left wing in the second half of the season.

What is their transfer priority before the window closes?

United are in the market for a left-back and an additional midfielder. They may also look into signing another centre-forward and possibly a centre-back, but they will require players to depart the club first.

United’s starting XI is worthy of the Champions League places, but fans are concerned over squad depth. Player health will be crucial to a good campaign.

What else is new?

Quite a bit!

Casemiro’s departure has led to a tactical retooling in and out of possession. There have been fewer instances of United retreating into a compact 4-4-2 when defending across pre-season. Instead, without the ball, United move into a proactive 4-2-4 that blocks off passing lanes through the middle. When United recover possession, their initial instinct isn’t to launch a long pass to kickstart a counter-attack as was the case in 2025-26. Pre-season has brought many long passing sequences from players, knocking the ball around in fluid passing triangles.

Marcus Rashford looks likely to return after spending last season on loan at Barcelona, and the 2026-27 campaign is also being filmed by Amazon Prime for its latest All or Nothing documentary, which will be released in Autumn 2027. Expect to see at least one reporter from The Athletic as a background character.

What’s the biggest lesson they learned last season?

Mainoo might be the future of United’s midfield.

He appeared to be heading for the door less than 12 months ago, with Ruben Amorim preferring a midfield pair of Bruno Fernandes and Casemiro in his 3-4-3. That all changed following Carrick’s arrival, with Mainoo becoming a trusted member of the starting XI and eventually signing a new contract with the club that will run until 2031. Towards the end of last season, Carrick used the 21-year-old in a deeper role, with Mainoo collecting the ball from the centre-backs.

Mainoo has a point to prove after being left on the bench for England’s World Cup campaign (James Gill – Danehouse/Getty Images)

Those responsibilities may change this season. Santos’ arrival should allow Mainoo to receive the ball in the middle phase, giving him greater attacking freedom. Tielemans may rotate with Mainoo in a box-to-box role across a season that could last 60 matches.

Mainoo had a quiet summer, overlooked by Thomas Tuchel as England reached the World Cup semi-finals. He will once again have to remind the football world how good he can be.

Who has been the best player in pre-season?

Santos has been a revelation at the base of United’s midfield, allowing Carrick to reshape the team’s approach. The 22-year-old is not a tough-tackling defensive midfielder in the style of Casemiro, but brings technical security and excellent match reading ability to the team’s engine room.

Santos’ midfield presence has allowed Mason Mount and others to flourish in a box-to-box role, and the Brazilian’s progressive passing gives United another creative tool when facing low blocks.

What are they worried about?

If we take “they” to mean those inside the club, then…

It may centre on how best to improve the playing squad in an inflated transfer market. Executives wish to avoid the dreaded “United Tax”, where the club would be drawn into prolonged transfer negotiations before being asked to overpay for targets. Coaching and medical staff are also preparing for a huge pendulum swing as the team gets ready for mid-week Champions League fixtures and (hopefully) more domestic cup games.

If we take “they” to mean fans looking from the outside, then… 

The lack of signings following confirmation of Tielemans’ deal in mid-July. Will United sign someone who can take on the lion’s share of defensive duties when Santos is rested? Who plays at left-back if Luke Shaw is injured? Who plays at centre-forward if Benjamin Sesko has another shin issue?

How’s the manager feeling?

It is much harder to decipher Carrick’s poker face compared to Ruben Amorim and Erik ten Hag, but he seems confident.

What’s the percentage chance of Carrick seeing out the season?

Facing Manchester City, Spurs, Leeds United, Chelsea and Aston Villa in the opening 10 Premier League games will make things difficult, but we give Carrick a 75 per cent chance of completing the 2026-27 season. If the head coach reaches the New Year having shown an ability to balance domestic duties with the Champions League fixtures, then he should have enough credit in the bank.

(We gave Amorim a 50-50 chance of seeing out 2025-26 in last season’s preview.)

I wouldn’t be surprised if…

Last year’s preview offered out four predictions. Two of which were correct. This time:

• United will stay in the top five for the entirety of the season
• Shea Lacey, the 19-year-old, makes at least 20 appearances in all competitions
• United opt against signing additional cover at centre-forward, with Bryan Mbeumo, Matheus Cunha and Rashford all job-sharing the role whenever Sesko is rested or injured
• Ayden Heaven makes more appearances than Lisandro Martinez

What is their strongest XI?

(4-2-3-1): Lammens; Dalot, Maguire, Martinez, Shaw; Santos, Tielemans; Mbeumo, Fernandes, Cunha; Sesko

Readers, please share your opinions on Carrick’s strongest XI in the comments section.