Man Utd promise strong squad

The Red Devils will be in the country for a week to play AmaZulu at Moses Mabhida on July 18 and then Ajax Cape Town three days later at Cape Town Stadium.

With the Uefa European Championships in full swing, there are fears that United's seven players at the tournament – Patrice Evra (France), Phil Jones, Wayne Rooney, Danny Welbeck and Ashley Young (England), Anders Lindegaard (Denmark) and Nani (Portugal) – might not make the trip, as they are due to be given an extended off-season.

Lyndon Barends, CEO of Primedia Sport, says the agreement they have with Manchester United stipulates that they bring a full squad.

"The contract clearly states that they must bring a full squad unless they are injured or unless they have just played in the Euros, like maybe if England goes very far then we wouldn't expect their English stars to be there because they will still be resting.

"It is a very important time for them, especially with blooding in the new and young players, so you would expect that some of the seasoned stars will not come.

"However, in reality Manchester United is not about one player but about a squad and a particular way of playing. We hope they bring the best available squad," Barends says.

New signings Shinji Kagawa and Nick Powell will most likely make the trip.

Phillip Townsend, United's director of communications, says: "We will bring the strongest possible squad minus those that are at the major tournaments, whose break might be extended depending on how their countries progress.

"However, our players are excited about coming here. Pre-season plays a key role for us as it enables us to visit our fans around the world."

United will hold two training sessions during their tour, which will be open to the public, the first on July 17 in Durban and the second at Cape Town Stadium on July 20.