Donny van de Beek is not part of the 26-man Manchester United selection that manager Erik ten Hag is taking to Norway for the first friendly match in preparation for the new season. Gain Mason Mount will come along, as will some talents.
First participation in group training after serious injury
Man Utd started preparations on the training ground last week and will play a friendly against Leeds United on Norwegian soil on Wednesday. Van de Beek, who trained in the first week, is not on the list of players that Man Utd published on Tuesday. For Van de Beek it was his first participation in group training after a serious injury.
Nevertheless, it was decided not to put Van de Beek on the list for the practice trip. This while other various big names, such as Mount, Lisandro Martínez, Raphaël Varane and Jadon Sancho, will simply come along to Oslo. Van de Beek may get another chance in the remainder of the preparation, as Man Utd has seven other exhibition games scheduled. Olympique Lyonnais, Arsenal, Wrexham, Real Madrid, Borussia Dortmund, RC Lens and Athletic Bilbao have also been roped in as sparring partners.
The official season for Man Utd starts on August 14, when Wolverhampton Wanderers will be the first opponent in the new season of the Premier League.
Remarkable advice to Van de Beek: “Celtic is the right place”
Donny van de Beek has received advice from an unexpected quarter. Former Celtic manager Neil Lennon spoke out about the Manchester United midfielder. The Scot thinks that a switch to Glasgow could turn out well for the former Ajax player.
“His career has kind of stalled,” Lennon said on The Go Radio Football Show. “He was great in Ajax’s Champions League season. Van de Beek was a solid pawn in that young team that reached the semi-finals.”
Lennon stressed that Celtic would do well to hire Van de Beek. “He went to United, but it didn’t work there. Even when he was loaned to Everton it was not a success. He needs a kick start. I think Celtic could offer that to him. His arrival would be impressive,” he added.
“He has certainly shown that he has the qualities,” Lennon is convinced. “After his serious injury, from which Van de Beek has now recovered, Celtic could offer just the right push. You don’t lose quality. Sometimes it’s down to your self-confidence, losing that a bit. Players of this caliber simply need a fresh start. Celtic is the right place for that.”
Celtic will not have the resources to buy Van de Beek, Lennon knows. The midfielder is stuck in Manchester for another two seasons. He will also earn a huge salary. He concludes, “We don’t have to beat around that. If you are realistic, you are talking about a loan for Van de Beek. Only then will you have a great player for a whole year.”
