ASEAN A. vs Manchester United

Manchester United will face the ASEAN All-Stars in a friendly match in Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday as part of their post-season schedule.

The Bukit Jalil National Stadium, with a capacity of 87,500, is expected to be packed for this Maybank Challenge Cup game, with all proceeds benefiting charity.

Fresh off their final Premier League victory against Aston Villa on Sunday, the Red Devils flew directly to South-East Asia for two friendlies, including an upcoming match against Hong Kong on Friday.

Under Ruben Amorim’s leadership, the team will have little downtime, with these friendlies preceding an international break for some players. Afterward, the squad will enjoy roughly a month off before preseason begins.

In mid-July, United will take on newly-promoted rivals Leeds United in a friendly, followed by a trip to the USA for the Premier League Summer Series.

Amorim aims to lay a strong foundation during this period, as the club seeks to rebound from a challenging season that saw them finish 15th in the Premier League and lose in the Europa League final.

Following Sunday’s match, Amorim issued an apology to fans at Old Trafford, pledging to turn things around next season. A significant squad overhaul is anticipated compared to the team traveling to Asia this week.

Their first opponents, the South-East Asian All-Star XI, were originally assembled in 2014 for a charity match to support Typhoon Haiyan victims, where they fell 1-0 to Indonesia.

This time, the team will be coached by Kim Sang-sik of South Korea and will include several players from Indonesia, which is the strongest nation in the region globally.

On this short trip to Asia, Amorim has assembled a formidable team, which includes several of the players who will be playing for their country next week.
Alejandro Garnacho, who was left out of the squad on Sunday and expressed his annoyance at Amorim for only providing him with the final 20 minutes off the bench in the Europa League final, is one unexpected addition. His departure is anticipated this summer.

Although none of its star players will play in this friendly, Indonesia will still have a strong chance of making it to the World Cup finals next summer, demonstrating how much the country's football infrastructure has grown.

Four players from Thailand, four from Vietnam, and two each from Cambodia, Indonesia, and the Philippines make up the All-Stars' 18-man roster. Laos, East Timor, Malaysia, and Singapore are also represented.