(Credit: Hasan Karim - Breaking Media / Getty Images)
(Credit: Hasan Karim - Breaking Media / Getty Images)

'Man United pair refused to travel on post-season Asia tour'

Ben Palmer

Ben is a Sports Journalist with experience covering the Premier League and NFL. He has written for the Daily Mirror and Daily Express. A lifelong Fulham and Jaguars fan, always hoping this season can be better than the last.

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Man United had two players push back against travel to Asia for their post-season tour of Malaysia and Hong Kong and subsequently did not go.

Despite closing out the campaign with a controversial 2-0 win over Aston Villa, this season has been the club's worst this century.

In a desperate bid to escape the scrutiny the Red Devils are under, whilst also boosting the club's coffers, the 20-time champions of England jetted off for a post-season tour of Asia.

But according to The Athletic's United correspondent, Laurie Whitwell, two of the club's players chose not to join the squad abroad.

Man United
Christian Eriksen will leave the club in the summer. (Credit: Getty Images)

Christian Eriksen, Victor Lindelof refuse to join Man United in Asia

As reported, the club "had originally tried to make Victor Lindelof and Christian Eriksen join the travelling party".

But with the Swedish defender's wife heavily pregnant and the Danish midfielder getting married, "the pair pushed back".

Without those personal reasons, Whitwell revealed the club would have expected them to join the trip to Malaysia and Hong Kong, even though both have contracts that will finish at the end of June.

Man United
Victor Lindelof will depart Man United after eight seasons with the club.

Man United players 'fuming' after news of Asia trip

Football Insider Verdict

In the same article Whitwell revealed that, according to several sources, United's players were "fuming" after finding out about the plans to head to Asia.

After a gruelling season that saw the club compete both domestically and in Europe, the players travelled straight from their final game of the season at Old Trafford to Manchester airport before jetting off.

Given the already fraught relationships within United, not least between Alejandro Garnacho and Amorim, further exacerbating the issue by forcing players to jet off on a commercially-motivated post-season tour is a strange choice to say the least.

Alejandro Garnacho, Man United
Alejandro Garnacho's stats for Man United in the Premier League. (Credit: Imago)

The summer break seemed to present itself as the perfect opportunity for the players and staff to take a break and refocus their efforts on improving results next season.

Instead, United's tour of Asia ended up being a farce. The team lost to the ASEAN All-Stars, a collection of players who had never played together before their match against the Red Devils, whilst Amad's middle finger to fans [MailOnline] highlighted the tense state of affairs within the club.

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