Red Devils to head Stateside again for pre-season tour

Manchester United will play a series of friendly fixtures in the United States of America as part of their summer preparations for the 2018/19 season, with participation in the International Champions Cup again likely.

Packed pre-season schedules have become increasingly commonplace for the club, with the tours percieved by many to be more about raising the club's global profile, and profiteering, than preparing for a new campaign.

A summer tour of North America will mark United's sixth visit to the continent since 2010, with two July fixtures - in Arizona and Santa Clara - already pencilled into United's schedule.

Jose Mourinho's men will face Club America of Mexico at the Phoenix University Stadium on July 19, before travelling to the Levi's Stadium three days later, for a test against Major League Soccer outfit, San Jose Earthquakes.

Additional fixtures are expected to be unveiled by the club, with fans likely to speculate whether a reunion with Zlatan Ibrahimovich, now at LA Galaxy, could be a potential clash.

However, participation in the International Champions Cup seems more likely for United - which would likely mean a further three fixtures Stateside for Jose Mourinho's Red Devils. Real Madrid, AC Milan, Juventus and bitter rivals Liverpool are all potential opponents for United in the USA-part of the annual exhibition tournament.