"Subject to any late sales, the Premier League and its clubs may benefit from having playing squads settled and in place for the start of the new season".
United manager Jose Mourinho, entering his third season at Old Trafford, has looked like a Bassett Hound for most of the summer, predicting a "difficult season" for a team which finished second in May.
Mourinho revealed this morning he is not expecting anybody to join United before the transfer deadline, with the window shutting at 5pm.
Last season may have been their highest finish since Sir Alex Ferguson retired, but the 19-point gap to runaway Premier League champions Manchester City underlined the improvements required.
"I'm not confident", Mourinho said, when asked whether there would be more players arriving before the deadline. I don't think just because they haven't signed a centre-back we should be sat here thinking "We'll let Manchester United off the hook, they shouldn't be challenging this year".
"[Alexis is] more than ready but you can not have the players who arrived only last Monday after the World Cup semi-finals or final and three weeks' holiday".
Canada to ask UK, UAE to help end Saudi Arabia rift
Saudi Arabia also called backed its ambassador from Ottawa and ordered Canada's chief envoy out of the country. A Saudi Arabia threat on Monday to carry out a 9/11-style attack on Canada has provoked a huge backlash.
'But looking at the squad Jurgen Klopp has assembled, I will be amazed if Liverpool don't push them very, very close.
Sergio Romero, Antonio Valencia, Marcos Rojo, Dalot, Ander Herrera and Nemanja Matic will all be unavailable for Friday's opener against Leicester.
"They returned on Monday".
"The list that I gave you before of the injured players is an important list and today after training I will speak with that group [of World Cup players] because everybody is different physically and mentally to see how they feel, how they are and to understand if they think how they can help or not help". We go with everything we have in that first match.
"Is hard for me to understand, to feel, to believe we finish second - which I keep saying, and it is sometimes hard to believe, that I won eight championships and three Premier League's but I keep feeling the second last season was one of my biggest achievements in the game".
The Red Devils coach has cut a sullen figure throughout pre-season with the former Chelsea boss unable to hide his dissatisfaction with Brazil global midfielder Fred being his sides only high profile signing.
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