Manchester United beaten by Wrexham 1-0 in pre-season friendly as Andrey Santos impressed

Manchester United have been beaten by Wrexham 1-0 in a pre-season friendly, as Andrey Santos impressed in his first game in a red shirt.

The Brazilian midfielder, who arrived from Chelsea in a £50m deal, featured for the opening 45 minutes before being substituted at half-time along with the entire starting lineup.

Championship outfit Wrexham claimed victory through Sam Smith's close-range finish in the 39th minute, a goal that came somewhat against the flow of play.

The ball found its way through Harry Maguire's legs before reaching the unmarked Smith at the back post, where he converted from point-blank range.

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The second half saw academy players take to the field under the captaincy of Tyler Fletcher, though they were unable to find an equaliser.

Wrexham could have extended their advantage had it not been for reserve goalkeeper Radek Vitek, who produced a superb stop to keep out Davis Keillor-Dunn after the forward was sent through on goal by an incisive pass.

Vitek, who impressed during a loan spell at Bristol City last term, stood firm and blocked the effort with his legs.

Earlier in the contest, Joshua Zirkzee came close when his powerful strike from the edge of the area flew narrowly wide of the left-hand upright following some intricate passing.

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Mason Mount also went close when his inswinging corner was inadvertently headed onto the crossbar by Smith under pressure from Leny Yoro.

Carrick emphasised that getting through the fixture without injuries was the priority given his squad had only been training together for around 10 days.

He told MUTV: "It was about getting through today to be honest and looking for some positives, looking for some good things, knowing that it wasn't going to be perfect and, you know, and that's only natural for the first one.

"I think the most important thing of all for us is that everyone came through it and in good shape and no injuries, so we can, we can move on again and take the next step going into the next game next week.

"Mason [Mount] did some really good things and connected really well, and you could see some positives there.

"I think top end of the pitch, those sharp little movements and those little bright kind of moments progress through the weeks of training.

"But I thought there were good signs. Andrey [Santos] is getting into a rhythm, getting a feeling of it again. So it was good to see him out on the pitch.

"They'll [United's World Cup players] start coming back soon.

"The squad will get stronger and stronger as we get closer to the season, which we knew. But we've got a good group here.

"We're really looking forward to the games coming up, and we'll keep making a difference, keep improving, and keep pushing towards the start of the season."

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