Manchester United Falls 4-2 to AC Milan as Marcus Rashford Returns

Manchester United suffered a 4-2 preseason defeat to AC Milan in Wroclaw despite goals from Harry Maguire and Patrick Dorgu.

AC Milan secured a 4-2 victory over Manchester United in a preseason friendly held in Wroclaw. The Italian side, managed by former United head coach Ruben Amorim, overcame two separate deficits to defeat Michael Carrick’s squad. Harry Maguire opened the scoring for the Red Devils by heading the ball into the net with just over 100 seconds played. Samuel Chukwueze equalized for the Serie A club with a strike at the back post. Following the halftime interval, Patrick Dorgu restored the English side's lead, but a rapid succession of goals from Alphadjo Cissè, Gonçalo Ramos, and Ruben Loftus-Cheek turned the match in favor of Milan.

Rashford Returns Amid Six Substitutions

The match marked the first appearance for Marcus Rashford in a Manchester United shirt since December 2024. The forward was introduced on the hour mark following his return from a loan spell at Barcelona. Carrick utilized six total changes during the contest to distribute playing time among the squad. This fixture represented the fifth game in a six-match preseason schedule for the Premier League side. Prior to this result in Poland, United had recorded a victory over Atletico Madrid and a 1-1 draw against European champions Paris Saint-Germain. The 4-2 loss is only the second defeat suffered by the club during their current summer tour.

Carrick Rejects Excuses for Performance

Post-match, Michael Carrick told MUTV that there were "no excuses" for the result, acknowledging that his team did not play well. The manager noted that while some players were logging their first minutes of the summer, the team must learn from the errors committed in Wroclaw. "On the whole, [preseason has] been very good, I think there a lot of positives to take from it," Carrick stated during his assessment. He emphasized that the squad remains in a period of improvement and that the coaching staff has difficult decisions to make regarding the depth of the roster. The manager cited the lack of quality in the performance as the primary reason for the disappointment rather than external factors.

Looking Ahead to the Premier League Opener

Manchester United will conclude their preparations before beginning the domestic campaign on August 22. Their first competitive fixture of the season will be an away match against newly-promoted Hull. The defeat to Amorim's side highlighted areas for improvement as the team transitions from exhibition matches to league play. While Djed Spence completed a €30m transfer from Tottenham to Inter Milan during this period, the focus for United remains on integrating returning players like Rashford. The Red Devils have one remaining match in their six-game run to finalize their tactical approach before the visit to Hull. Carrick remains optimistic about the overall trajectory of the preseason despite the four goals conceded to the Italian giants.