Manchester United suffered a defeat against struggling Burnley in a closed-door friendly at their Carrington training ground on Wednesday, as reported.
This marks the second time in six months that United has faced a loss to Vincent Kompany’s team in private matches.
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The team is currently gearing up for the FA Cup fourth-round clash against Newport County at Rodney Parade on Sunday.
Manager Erik ten Hag is aware that a surprise loss to League Two opponents could jeopardize his chances of securing silverware in his challenging second season.
As part of their preparations, Ten Hag organized a friendly against Burnley four days before the FA Cup tie, likely aimed at enhancing the fitness and sharpness of players returning from injury.
Notably, Harry Maguire and Luke Shaw have rejoined the squad after their respective injuries.
Despite efforts to boost the squad’s strength, Norwegian United reporter Fredrik A. Filtvedt revealed that Burnley emerged victorious at Carrington.
The friendly likely included players like Casemiro, who returned to the squad recently, and Lisandro Martinez, recovering from two foot surgeries last year.
With Maguire and Shaw possibly featuring in parts of the match in preparation for the weekend, other first-team regulars, including Jonny Evans, Hannibal Mejbri, Alvaro Fernandez, Scott McTominay, Anthony Martial, Donny van de Beek, and Facundo Pellistri, were reported to have started the match.
Despite not having a fixture last weekend during the winter break, Burnley reportedly secured a win, repeating their previous success in August when they defeated United 3-0 in a Carrington friendly.
The outcome raises concerns for United, who have won only two of their last eight games, with one of those victories against League One side Wigan Athletic in the FA Cup third round.
As they face the FA Cup clash, a defeat on Sunday could potentially bring an end to United’s campaign altogether.
Burnley, currently 19th in the Premier League, has won only three of their 21 games since their immediate promotion from the Championship.
