Soccer

Paul Pogba included in Man United squad for pre-season tour

Midfielder will travel to Australia despite reports he wants to leave Old Trafford

Paul Pogba has been included in Manchester United’s squad for their pre-season tour. Photograph: Stu Forster/Getty

Sun Jul 7 2019 - 12:32

Paul Pogba has been included in Manchester United’s squad for their pre-season tour.

The France midfielder had been a doubt for the trip as reports that he is angling for a move away from Old Trafford picked up pace last week.

But he will travel with the team as they head to Australia on Sunday afternoon to kick-off their preparations for the new season.

Romelu Lukaku, another player linked with a summer departure, is also included among the 28-man party — as are new signings Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Daniel James.

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Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side will take on Perth Glory and Leeds before continuing on for pre-season games in Singapore and China.

Pogba has struggled for consistent form since returning to Old Trafford in a club-record deal in 2016.

He was included in the PFA Team of the Year last season but split opinion among supporters and reportedly had a falling out with former United boss Jose Mourinho.

Talking to The Times last week, Pogba’s agent Mino Raiola said he had made the club aware he was looking to move the player on and offered no assurances that the 26-year-old would travel for the tour.

“Everyone knows the willingness of Paul to move on. We are in the process of that. Everyone knows what the feelings of Paul are,” said Raiola.

Both Matteo Darmian and Fred are absent due to family reasons and will link up with the squad later in the tour.

Alexis Sanchez, who limped out of Chile’s Copa America third-place play-off defeat to Argentina overnight, is missing but would not have been included at this stage due to his international exertions.

While Solskjaer has also taken a host of young players, there were notable absentees in the shape of defender Timothy Fosu-Mensah and goalkeeper Dean Henderson.

Full list of players expected to be on Manchester United pre-season tour:

David De Gea, David, Victor Lindelof, Eric Bailly, Phil Jones, Paul Pogba, Juan Mata, Romelu Lukaku, Marcus Rashford, Anthony Martial, Chris Smalling, Lee Grant, Jesse Lingar, Andreas Pereira, Marcos Rojo, Ashley Young, Diogo Dalot, Daniel James, Sergio Romero, Luke Shaw, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Nemanja Matic, Axel Tuanzebe, Scott McTominay, Joel Pereira, James Garner, Angel Gomes, Tahith Chong, Mason Greenwood.

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