Manchester United’s pre-season flaws exposed in 4-2 defeat by AC Milan

Michael Carrick admitted Manchester United must learn from their 4-2 defeat by AC Milan in Wroclaw and insisted there was no room for excuses after his side failed to produce the required performance.

United were beaten in their final preparations for the new season despite taking the lead twice, with Carrick expressing his disappointment at the team’s display rather than attempting to explain it away.

Speaking to MUTV after the match, Carrick said United’s overall pre-season had been positive but stressed that the loss to AC Milan had highlighted areas requiring immediate attention. Several players are still building up their first minutes of the campaign, but the manager said the team must use the experience to correct its mistakes.

Carrick acknowledged there were different reasons behind United’s performance, while making clear that those factors could not be treated as justifications.

“The basic truth is that we did not play as well as we needed to,” he said.

United made an impressive start in Wroclaw, taking the lead after about 100 seconds when Harry Maguire headed them in front. AC Milan responded through Samuel Chukwueze to draw level before half-time.

Patrick Dorgu restored United’s advantage in the second half, but the lead lasted only briefly. Alfadjo Cisse equalised for the Italian side, before Goncalo Ramos and Ruben Loftus-Cheek scored in quick succession to complete AC Milan’s turnaround and secure a 4-2 victory.

The result was only United’s second defeat in six friendlies during their pre-season programme. Their preparations have also included a win against Atletico Madrid and a 1-1 draw with Paris Saint-Germain, the European champions.

The match also marked Marcus Rashford’s first appearance for United since December 2024. He returned to action after completing his loan spell with Barcelona, with Carrick introducing him as part of six substitutions made during the game.

Those changes were designed to give as many players as possible valuable minutes before the competitive season begins. Carrick said the playing time would benefit the squad, although he also recognised that having a strong group of players would create difficult selection decisions for the coaching staff.

The manager will now turn his attention to United’s opening Premier League fixture, when they face newly promoted Hull City on 22 August.

That match will provide the first competitive test of Carrick’s team after the pre-season programme. United’s coaching staff will hope the mistakes exposed by AC Milan can be addressed before the new campaign moves into its more demanding phase.