The wave of optimism surrounding Manchester United’s successful pre-season tour has been given another significant boost, with encouraging fitness updates emerging for three key injured players: Joshua Zirkzee, André Onana, and Lisandro Martínez.
Perhaps the most significant news concerns first-choice goalkeeper André Onana. While he was initially expected to miss the first month of the new Premier League season, the Manchester Evening News now claims he could be fit for a return far sooner than anticipated, potentially even for the final pre-season friendly against Fiorentina on August 9.
There is also excellent progress for long-term absentee Lisandro Martínez. The Argentine defender, who has been sidelined since rupturing his ACL in February, is now reportedly back running on grass and working with the ball, putting him well ahead of his initial recovery schedule.
Meanwhile, new striker Joshua Zirkzee, who missed the U.S. tour with what he described as a “small injury,” is also confident of a quick return. “It shouldn’t take too long to recover now,” he said, adding that he has been motivated by Martínez’s incredible work ethic during their shared rehabilitation.
This flurry of positive injury news complements an unbeaten pre-season tour and the arrival of quality new signings like Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo. It seems to be fulfilling the defiant promise manager Ruben Amorim made to fans in May after a disastrous 2024-25 campaign, when he insisted, “the good days are coming.”
With key players returning from injury ahead of schedule and a new-found confidence within the squad, Manchester United are heading into the new season with a sense of hope that was unimaginable just a few months ago.