Man Utd stars forced to go on money-spinning tour but Marcus Rashford to miss out

Manchester United will jet straight off for a lucrative two-game tour of the Far East as soon as the Premier League ends with their big names told they must feature

Manchester United’s stars will have to take part in a £10million trip to the Far East just days after the Premier League season ends. The club are cashing in on their brand with their top players told they having to be present – but Marcus Rashford will dodge it.

The Premier League club have confirmed plans for a two-game tour of Kuala Lumpur and Hong Kong, seeing them travel nearly 7,000 just days after the end of the season ends. Some of their players have fixtures to complete following the games in Asia.

Bruno Fernandes is set to line up for Portugal in a Nations League semi final against Germany less than week after United’s second game in Hong Kong, but he will not be afforded any rest with the playmaker as well as the likes of Harry Maguire contractually obliged to feature, reports the Daily Star.

United’s sponsors want to see the big names present when the club take to the pitch despite them playing, up to, 60 games this season and individuals will be told they have to oblige.

Rashford will miss the trip because his loan deal with Aston Villa runs until the end of June. The forward will see his current club head to Old Trafford for the final game of the season and immediately after Ruben Amorim and his squad will head off.

READ MORE: Ruben Amorim gets £9m Man Utd boost ahead of summer transfer windowREAD MORE: Four Man Utd summer signings would cost £230m as Rio Ferdinand agrees with Gary Neville

United will face ASEAN All Stars in Malaysia on May 28 and then finish their trip with a match against Hong Kong in the Hong Kong Stadium two days later. Chief executive Omar Berrada claimed the club wanted to recognise the huge fanbase they have in the Far East despite the hierarchy likely being accused of being revenue before player welfare.

He said: “We appreciate the amazing level of support that Manchester United enjoys around the world, and this summer we are delighted to deliver a schedule that provides our fans in Asia, Scandinavia and the United States the opportunity to connect with the club and watch the men’s first team play live in local settings.

“Importantly, Tour fixtures drive significant additional revenue which help make the club stronger, allowing us to keep investing in success on the pitch. They also create unique opportunities for us to collaborate with our valued commercial partners, and to deepen relationships with our fans in regions such as Asia and the US.”

If United reach the Europa League final on May 21 they will end up playing five matches in 12 days now that the two matches have been added to their fixture list.

United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe has been open and honest about the club’s financial situation, which will see ticket prices increase again. Failure to qualify for the Champions League would be another blow ahead of Amorim’s first summer transfer window, which will be crucial if he is to change the team’s fortunes.

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