Man Utd beaten 3-1 by Burnley in behind-closed-doors friendly
- Man Utd organised friendly with Burnley to help players returning from injury build fitness
- Red Devils lost 3-1 in game at Carrington
- Antony scored Man Utd's goal while likes of Harry Maguire, Luke Shaw and Casemiro featured
By Sean Walsh
Manchester United lost 3-1 to Burnley in a behind-closed-doors friendly at their Carrington training base this week.
The Red Devils return to action this Sunday with a trip to Newport County in round four of the FA Cup, bringing an end to their two-week winter break.
Their last competitive outing came at home to Tottenham Hotspur on January 14, playing out a thrilling 2-2 draw at Old Trafford.
United have been blighted by a string of injuries to key players this season, but most of those absentees are now nearing full fitness again. In order to get them up to speed, the club organised a friendly with relegation-battling Burnley.
The visiting Clarets, who won 3-0 in another friendly at Carrington earlier this season, ran out 3-1 victors on Wednesday afternoon, with Antony scoring United's consolation from the penalty spot.
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United were able to field the likes of Harry Maguire, Luke Shaw, Casemiro and Amad Diallo following respective injuries. Lisandro Martinez, who made his return as a substitute against Spurs, also took part, while Facundo Pellistri also featured ahead of his loan exit, with talks ongoing with Spanish side Granada.
Those stepping up their recoveries all played between 45 and 60 minutes and the match was viewed as a positive in building their fitness back up.
United's trip to Newport this weekend is followed by a visit to Wolverhampton Wanderers on Thursday evening, before they return to Old Trafford to host West Ham United on Sunday.
Erik ten Hag's side have dropped to eighth in the Premier League table and are currently 11 points off a top-four spot. They will fall below Wolves with defeat at Molineux, while David Moyes' Hammers are three points clear of United as it stands.
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