With the 2022 FIFA World Cup now completed, the focus turns back to club action. Premier League teams like Manchester United are gearing back up for domestic and continental play, which will begin soon.
Man United boss Erik ten Hag spent the World Cup preparing for this competitive return by conducting training with the players in his squad who were not away on World Cup duty. They remained fit by taking part in friendlies against Spanish clubs Cadiz and Real Betis, both of which Man United lost.
Now, the Red Devils will be hoping to get their World Cup participants back in short order. Some were given extra time to recover before returning following early exits, while others went the distance in the knockout stage and only recently completed their World Cup journeys.
Here are the latest updates for the likes of Bruno Fernandes (Portugal), Raphael Varane (France), Lisandro Martinez (Argentina), and others plotting a return to the Red Devils squad.
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Here is the full list of players who traveled to Qatar with their national teams in order of when they were knocked out:
- Nov. 30: Christian Eriksen (Denmark)
- Dec. 2: Facundo Pellistri (Uruguay)
- Dec. 9: Tyrell Malacia (Netherlands)
- Dec. 9: Fred (Brazil)
- Dec. 9: Casemiro (Brazil)
- Dec. 9: Antony (Brazil)
- Dec. 10: Bruno Fernandes (Portugal)
- Dec. 10: Diogo Dalot (Portugal)
- Dec. 10: Harry Maguire (England)
- Dec. 10: Marcus Rashford (England)
- Dec. 10: Luke Shaw (England)
- Dec. 18: Raphael Varane (France)
- Dec. 18: Lisandro Martinez (Argentina)
When does Manchester United play next?
Manchester United returned to competitive action against Burnley in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday, December 21 as they edged a 2-0 win.
The likes of Eriksen, Casemiro, Fernandes, Rashford, Malacia, Antony, Fred, Shaw and Pellestri all returned to action for that match.
Their next match is on Tuesday, December 27 against Nottingham Forest.
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Which Man United players have returned from World Cup?
England players are back in training, including Harry Maguire, Luke Shaw, and Marcus Rashford. The former missed the match against Burnley due to illness but if fit will be available to play against Forest.
England exited the World Cup in heartbreaking fashion, falling to France 2-1 in the quarterfinals thanks to a missed penalty from Harry Kane. That happened on December 10, affording those players time to take a breather after wrapping up participation in the tournament.
Portugal, meanwhile, were also knocked out in the quarterfinals on December 10, meaning Bruno Fernandes and Netherlands full-back Tyrell Malacia are both back and available.
Which Man United players have not returned from World Cup?
Full-back Diogo Dalot has not yet returned to training following Portugal's departure from the World Cup. He was forced off early in the quarterfinal defeat to Morocco, although there is little reported information regarding his injury.
France defender Raphael Varane, meanwhile, reached the final with Les Bleus on December 18. Varane started every single match except the opener against Australia, playing nearly every minute of every game after.
The Manchester Evening News reports that despite Varane looking unfit by the end of the final against Argentina, he was not injured, and he will reportedly return for the match against Wolves on New Year's Eve.
Manchester United will also be missing Varane's centre-back partner Lisandro Martinez who emerged from the World Cup victorious with Argentina. Martinez took a back seat to defensive stars Nicolas Otamendi and Cristian Romero during the tournament, but he will still need time to reintegrate with the Man United squad after returning home to Argentina to celebrate their triumph. Martinez will reportedly return to Man United around the same time as Varane.
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Where does Cristiano Ronaldo go after World Cup?
Cristiano Ronaldo is no longer a part of the Man United squad after he was released while on World Cup duty.
The two sides agreed to mutually part ways, with Ronaldo's contract at Man United voided, allowing him to become a free agent and seek a new team.
There are reports of a gargantuan contract offer from Saudi Arabia club Al-Nassr that would make Ronaldo the highest paid player in the world by a massive margin, but to this point he has not signed on the dotted line. There are few other clubs reportedly interested in his services.
Premier League 2022/23 TV channels, live streams
| Region | TV | Streaming |
| Australia | — | Optus Sport |
| Canada | — | |
| Hong Kong | — | Now TV |
| India | Star Sports | Disney+, Hotstar, JioTV |
| Malaysia | Astro SuperSport | Astro Go |
| New Zealand | Sky Sport | Sky Sport Now, Sky Go |
| Singapore | StarHub | StarHub TV+ |
| UK | Sky Sports, BT Sport | NOW TV, Sky Go, Amazon Prime |
| USA | USA Network, Telemundo, Universo | fuboTV, Peacock |
UK: Matches are carried across Sky Sports and BT Sport streaming and TV platforms, with select matches on Amazon Prime.
USA: Select matches are televised on USA Network (English) and Telemundo or Universo (Spanish), and all three channels can be streamed on fuboTV. The rest of the matches are streamed on NBC platform Peacock for subscribers.
Canada: Every Premier League game this season is live streaming exclusively via fuboTV in Canada.
Australia: Fans in Australia can stream every match live and on demand on Optus Sport.
India: Star Sports network has the rights to show Premier League matches in India. As well as an English broadcast on Star Sports Select, select matches will be available via regional feeds on Star Sports 3 (in Bengali, English, Kannada, Malayalam), Star Sports 1 (Bangla) and Star Sports 1 (Tamil).
