WREXHAM FACE MANCHESTER UNITED IN HELSINKI PRE-SEASON FRIENDLY

Wrexham will play Manchester United in a pre-season friendly at the Olympic Stadium in Helsinki on Saturday. Manager Phil Parkinson described the fixture as "a great test" for his side ahead of further matches in the United States. United manager Michael Carrick will be without several players returning late from World Cup duty. Parkinson said both teams would bring sufficient first-team players to ensure the match had "the right intensity level" and competitive element.

Wrexham defeated a youthful Manchester United team 3-1 in a friendly in San Diego during summer 2023, when the club was in League Two. The fixture forms part of Wrexham's pre-season schedule, which includes subsequent games against Leeds United, Liverpool and Sunderland in America. Parkinson noted that high-profile friendlies against established sides have featured regularly in recent pre-season planning. He cited previous matches against Chelsea, Bournemouth and Manchester United as having been worthwhile preparation for competitive fixtures.

Defenders Dom Hyam and Liberato Cacace have returned to training following World Cup participation with Scotland and New Zealand respectively. Cacace started in all three of New Zealand's group stage matches, whilst Hyam did not feature in any of Scotland's three games. Parkinson stated that the priority for his players was to use the Manchester United match as a step forward in their preparations before travelling to the United States.