Manchester United landed in Bangkok ahead of their first preseason tour in three years to be greeted by a throng of Thai fans.
New manager Erik ten Hag participated in a welcoming ceremony as his 31-man squad landed in the Thai city on Saturday. Wantaway star Cristiano Ronaldo was absent from the group.
United play Liverpool in Bangkok on Tuesday before traveling to Australia for preseason matches against Melbourne Victory, Crystal Palace, and Aston Villa.
Ten Hag’s first game in command of the club will be against archrivals Liverpool, and he appeared concentrated as he led his team through the airport.
Only one new addition, Dutch left-back Tyrell Malacia, who joined from Feyenoord for £14.6 million, boarded the plane to Thailand.
United are currently in negotiations with Barcelona to acquire Frenkie de Jong, have filed a £43 million bid for Ajax defender Lisandro Martinez, and are expected to sign free agent Christian Eriksen, who has verbally agreed to join the club.
Ronaldo has not traveled despite receiving more time off to address a “family matter.” The Portuguese star wishes to leave United in the summer if a good offer is made.
In addition to Ronaldo, Phil Jones, Brandon Williams, and Andreas Pereira are the other members of the first team who will be absent from the tour.
Williams will remain in the United Kingdom and train at Carrington as he recovers from a minor injury, while Jones will participate in a specialized preseason program designed to prevent injuries during the 2022-2023 season.
Pereira was also granted time off following his loan to Flamengo during the previous season. The Brazilian has agreed to a £10 million transfer to Premier League club Fulham.
The traveling squad contains a number of veteran players, such as Harry Maguire and Bruno Fernandes, as well as a number of new players eager to distinguish themselves.
Alejandro Garnacho, Zidane Iqbal, and Charlie Savage, who all earned their senior debuts during the previous season, have traveled.
In the coming weeks, Tahith Chong, James Garner, and Ethan Laird, who have all returned from loan stints last season, are also expected to play for United.
Facundo Pellistri will also be hoping to suit up for Manchester United in the coming days after practising well at Carrington with the group. Since joining the club for £9 million in 2020, the Uruguayan has had two loan stints with Spanish side Alaves.
Despite recent difficulties, United’s popularity in the Far East remains immense. The club also visited Asia for their 2019 preseason tour.