Man Utd will have a training camp in Europe in pre-season and it could be held at a familiar venue.

06:00, 09 Apr 2026

Manchester United could return to Carton House for a pre-season training camp as they work on plans to make sure as many of their World Cup stars as possible are available.

United’s first-team squad are spending four days this week in the County Kildare countryside, having flown into Dublin on Monday evening. They will return to Manchester later on Thursday after a final training session.

Club officials have been impressed with the facilities available at the 1,100-acre site and it could be used as a training base in the summer, with United facing Leeds United in a pre-season friendly in Dublin on Wednesday, August 12.

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United’s pre-season schedule will see them remain in Europe this summer and while they will jet in and out for most games, there are plans afoot for a change of scenery from Carrington at some point.

Their first friendly takes place against Wrexham in Helsinki on July 18, the day before the World Cup final. They then play in Trondheim on July 24, followed by games in Sweden on August 1 and August 8. Then there is the Croke Park clash with Leeds and a final friendly against AC Milan in Poland on August 15.

United opted against the usual money-spinning pre-season tour this summer, partly because so many players will be away at the expanded, 48-team World Cup. With that tournament taking place in North America, there is also less appetite than normal for friendly fixtures in the United States this summer.

Despite staying in Europe, United will spend some time away from Carrington, but they want to delay that camp for as long as possible, aiming to ensure that the majority, if not all, of their World Cup stars are available to take part.

With players normally granted around three weeks off at the end of a major tournament, anyone reaching the quarter-finals will likely only be available from the week of August 3, while semi-finalists and finalists may return the following week. That makes a return to Ireland an ideal time to stage their training camp.

If this week was a dry run to see whether Carton House would be a suitable venue this summer, then it is an audition that has been passed. United, who do not have exclusive use of the hotel but get a section to themselves, have been impressed with the quality of the training pitches made available to them, which are of a higher standard than many hotel venues.

Carton House has hosted many teams in the past, including Real Madrid in 2009. Chelsea, Newcastle, and Burnley have also used the venue for pre-season training, and Michael Carrick has visited previously. England have used the exclusive retreat previously, often staying here around games against the Republic of Ireland in Dublin.

Not only have the facilities passed muster, but the nature of the set-up has appealed to United. The training pitch is only a short walk from the accommodation being used by the first team, with the gym also close by. Players can head to the gym for their activation work before strolling over to the training pitches.

United took their own chef to Ireland, eating all their meals at the hotel, with around 40 players and staff making the trip.

United are always a big draw in Ireland, and there were hundreds of supporters milling around every day during this visit, waiting on either side of the path between the hotel and the training pitch in the hope of getting an autograph or a selfie.

Carton House is also home to two championship golf courses, one designed by Mark O’Meara and the other by Colin Montgomerie. The venue has hosted European Tour events previously and United players have had access to their courses during their stay.