Overview
Manchester United will enter a friendly match with Rosenborg with the goal of regaining confidence after the 0-1 defeat to Wrexham last weekend.
Coach Michael Carrick's team had an underperforming performance in the opening match of the pre-season period. Although some young players left their mark in the second half, the "Red Devils" still could not avoid defeat and still had many problems to improve before the new season.
The confrontation with Rosenborg is therefore of great significance, not only helping Carrick assess the force but also an opportunity for the team to regain excitement before a series of friendly matches with Atletico Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain, Leeds United and AC Milan.
In the opposite direction, Rosenborg is in positive form. After returning from the mid-season break, the Norwegian team successively defeated Kristiansund and Start with a score of 3-0, and also defeated Molde 2-1 in a friendly match.
In the Elite Series, Rosenborg is currently ranked 10th with 15 points after 13 matches, 10 points behind the European Cup group. However, recent form shows that coach Freyr Alexandersson's team is ready to create a big challenge for Man United.
Notably, the two teams once met during the 2024 summer tour, when Rosenborg won 1-0 thanks to Noah Holm's only goal.
In terms of force, Man United has welcomed four new signings in the summer transfer window including Andrey Santos, Youri Tielemans, Karl Darlow and young talent Tynan Thompson. Among them, Andrey Santos made his debut against Wrexham.
The Old Trafford team is said to continue to strengthen its forces before the transfer window closes. Besides, Marcus Rashford's future is also showing brighter signs as the English striker is likely to continue to stick with the club.
Carrick expects his players to show a more positive face against Rosenborg to lay the foundation for the Premier League 2026-2027 opening match against Hull City on August 22.
Personnel situation
Rosenborg is likely to be without striker Dino Islamovic. The 32-year-old striker has not fully recovered from his injury and must wait for the fitness test results close to the match to determine his ability to play.
However, Freyr Alexandersson will almost certainly field the strongest squad from the start before making changes in the second half.
Amin Chiakha is expected to lead the attack after scoring 6 goals in 14 appearances this season. Supporting him will be Emil Konradsen Ceide, a player who has contributed 2 goals and seven assists in all competitions.
On the other side, Man United continues to be missing a series of key players because they are still on break after the 2026 World Cup. This list includes Youri Tielemans, Lisandro Martinez, Matheus Cunha, Diogo Dalot, Bruno Fernandes, Amad Diallo, Altay Bayindir, Kobbie Mainoo, Senne Lammens, Noussair Mazraoui and Marcus Rashford.
In addition, striker Benjamin Sesko has not yet recovered from a tibia injury sustained at the end of the 2025-2026 season. Two players Matthijs de Ligt and Karl Darlow are also unable to participate.
Expected lineup:
Wahlstedt, Svensson, M. Ceide, Nemcik, Pereira, Selnaes, Duris, Bomholt, Fossum, E. Ceide, Chiakha.
Man United: Heaton, Yoro, Maguire, Heaven, Shaw, Mount, Santos, Lacey, J. Fletcher, Dorgu, Mbeumo.
The match between Rosenborg and Man United takes place at 11:00 PM on July 24th (Vietnam time).
