TRONDHEIM, Norway: No Bruno Fernandes, Benjamin Sesko or Amad Diallo.
But while Manchester United’s mainstays were resting in Trondheim, 19-year-old Shea Lacey stole the show in a stylish 5-0 win over Rosenborg.
Five goals were scored, with four of them coming from academy products and each celebrating their first unofficial senior goals against Norway’s most successful club.
Lacey, Jacob Devaney, Harry Amass and Ethan Williams all found the target, flanked by Joshua Zirkzee’s stunning solo effort as United continued to pack up their pre-season preparations.
United manager Michael Carrick just didn’t have time to field 15-year-old gem JJ Gabriel who would have completed a perfect visit to Norway.
Gabriel’s presence in Carrick’s 25-man squad sparked expectations that he would be among the youngest players to ever play for United’s senior team.
However, it did not materialise as Carrick continued with his plans without almost all of the players who had just returned from the World Cup.
Sesko was also not taken due to a shin injury.
Lacey, 19, took over Fernandes’ role at number 10 and his unofficial first senior goal showed United fans the finishing touch that has become synonymous with Carrington academy players.
The Liverpool-born player calmly controlled the ball, tricking the opposing defence before firing a curling shot into the corner of the goal while dominating the game against a Rosenborg midfield that was already fit due to the domestic season.
In front of a rather quiet atmosphere with more seagulls than fans, Zirkzee produced a special moment with a quality solo goal as United bounced back from a 0-1 defeat to Wrexham in Helsinki.
LONDON: Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta faces a major challenge after several of his key players returned from the World Cup exhausted and plagued by injuries.
The tournament ended with Spanish midfielder Mikel Merino suffering a significant bruise under his eye after being hit by a powerful shot from Lionel Messi in the final, which Spain won 1-0 over Argentina.
Merino shared a photo from the Spain dressing room showing the injury, while placing a drink bottle on the swollen eye.
Although the injury is not considered serious, it still brings relief to Arsenal’s medical team who now have to manage the return of all their players from the tournament.
Most worrying is the condition of Declan Rice, who has had a very busy season when he played for 5,482 minutes in 69 matches for club and England.
Rice is expected to need a long period of rest after finishing a grueling season.
Bukayo Saka is still struggling with an Achilles tendon problem he has been experiencing for the past few months, while William Saliba is likely to require surgery after his back injury recurred during France’s semi-final defeat.
Arsenal sent 15 players to the World Cup, including Leandro Trossard who has now left the club, with eight of them progressing to the final weekend of the tournament.
In total, Arsenal players have accumulated 4,224 minutes of action in North America.
That number is only surpassed by Manchester City among Premier League clubs, when their players recorded 5,925 minutes.
The situation is difficult for Arteta as Arsenal have just come through a season that saw them play 63 matches before the players went on to join the World Cup training camp just two days after the season ended on May 30.
Now they only have about 30 days before the new Premier League season begins.
Arsenal enter the new season as Premier League champions, but the fitness levels of Rice, Saka and Saliba are among the main concerns.
The club already expects many players to go far in the World Cup, hence the pre-season schedule has been modified.
Arsenal held a short training camp in Marbella last week before starting official training on Monday.
They also rejected the long pre-season travel plans and opted for a simpler approach.
The team will undergo a training camp in Spain before playing Girona on August 1.
Four days later, Arsenal will face Real Betis in Dublin before returning to London for two more friendlies at the Emirates Stadium in preparation for facing Manchester City in the Community Shield in Cardiff on August 16.
Arsenal have also overhauled their medical department in an effort to improve the team’s injury record.
The club’s doctor, Zafar Iqbal, and head of sports science and performance, Tom Allen, have left the club.
The main physical performance coach, Sam Wilson, also moved to Parma.
To fill the vacancy, Arsenal have appointed Arnaldo Abrantes from Aston Villa as the new club doctor, Eneko Angulo from Real Betis as a rehabilitation specialist and Bayer Leverkusen fitness coach Jose Jimenez.
They are now responsible for ensuring players like Ben White and Jurrien Timber return to peak fitness as soon as possible.
The delayed return of several key players also opened up opportunities for young talent to shine throughout the pre-season.
16-year-old winger Max Dowman has the opportunity to prove his ability on the right wing as Saka and Noni Madueke have just returned from international duty.
In midfield, Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly are expected to be given more playing minutes after Martin Zubimendi, Merino and Rice only finished their World Cup campaigns last weekend.
Nwaneri’s future with Arsenal is still a question mark, but last season proved that things can change quickly.
The 19-year-old almost left the club before finally making the starting line-up for the Champions League final.
Arteta certainly hopes that the young player can continue his excellent performance and help reduce the burden facing the Arsenal squad ahead of the new season.
LONDON: Enzo Fernandez insists Argentina will continue to represent the country ‘as best as possible’ at the World Cup despite their campaign being marred by several controversies, including the red card he received in the final.
The Chelsea midfielder was shown a red card after receiving a second yellow card for a hard tackle on Spaniard Pau Cubarsi at the end of normal time before Argentina lost 0-1 to Spain in the final, last Monday morning.
Fernandez’s expulsion is the latest in a series of heated incidents that have marred Argentina’s journey to the finals.
Leandro Paredes is accused of trying to throw a punch at members of the Spanish squad as they celebrated the victory, with the International Football Federation (FIFA) opening an investigation into possible disciplinary violations following the unpleasant atmosphere after the match.
The Argentine players were also criticized after they turned their backs on Spain as the La Roja squad received their championship medals and trophies.
Controversy also erupted when Argentine players displayed a banner reading ‘Las Malvinas son Argentinas’ (The Falkland Islands belong to Argentina) after defeating England in the semi-final.
The Falkland Islands, located in the South Atlantic, were the source of conflict between Argentina and Britain in 1982 before Britain regained control of the territory after a short war.
Fernandez took to Instagram to defend his country’s performance throughout the World Cup but did not address the red card he received.
“As time goes by, you realize there is something bigger than just the result of the match.
“Over the years, this group has represented the team in the best possible way. It teaches that competing is not just about winning; it’s about giving everything for the jersey and never giving up,” he said.
Fernandez was part of the Argentina squad that defeated France to lift the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
However, his dreams of winning a second consecutive title were dashed when he was sent off before Ferran Torres scored Spain’s winning goal in the 106th minute in a final that saw Argentina criticised for their defensive approach.
“It is a privilege to be part of a group that is constantly rising, competing at the highest level and defending the national colours with pride, humility and commitment.
“I want to thank all the Argentine fans. Thank you for always being with us, supporting us in every match and making us feel at home wherever we are.
“Wearing the national jersey is the greatest honour of my career and I will continue to give my all every time I get the chance to defend it,” he said.
LIVERPOOL: Liverpool manager Arne Slot believes his team is capable of creating something special when facing Paris Saint-Germain in the second leg of the Champions League quarter-final at Anfield.
The Reds are currently 2-0 down after losing the first leg in Paris, but Slot is confident that the result can still be overcome with an exceptional performance at home.
According to him, the first thing that was emphasized to the players was the fact that the gap was only two goals, even though the pattern of play in the first game seemed much different.
“First of all, I reminded them that the result was only 2-0 even though the match felt different. Secondly, we have proven many times that we are capable of performing well in big matches,” said Slot.
He also admitted that Liverpool’s performance this season has been inconsistent, but still believes his team has the ability to bounce back when needed.
“Yes, we believe we can do something special, but we need to be very, very special to achieve it. We are playing against the European champions, so the task is more difficult – but not impossible,” he said.
Slot is not expected to change his tactical approach much compared to the first match, despite playing in front of his own fans.
“Our approach is not much different. To take the ball away from them, we have to press high and we know how difficult that is,” he added.
Anfield, renowned for its incredible atmosphere during European action, is also expected to be a key factor in Liverpool’s revival mission.
Slot points to the epic comeback against Barcelona in the 2019 semi-final as proof of his team’s ability to create miracles on home soil.
With domestic competition not in their favour this season, the Champions League is now Liverpool’s last hope of winning a trophy, making this clash a defining moment for Slot’s squad.