How are Man Utd shaping up ahead of the new season?

Manchester United are preparing for the new season - their first full season under Michael Carrick - but what still needs to be done? Take part in a special Man Utd Q&A with Danyal Khan on the Sky Sports website and app at lunchtime on Wednesday

Manchester United ended their pre-season with a 4-2 defeat to AC Milan, and the question is what kind of condition they are in as they go into the new season?

Ahead of a special Sky Sports Manchester United Q&A taking place on Wednesday, our reporter Danyal Khan discusses the major talking points...

The good news for Michael Carrick and United is that two players, in particular, have stood out in pre-season.

Having perhaps looked a bit tired towards the end of last season, Carrick will be purring to see Bryan Mbeumo and Amad Diallo back to their electric selves in pre-season.

Mbeumo has looked sharp in front of goal with Amad also appearing full of confidence after an impressive World Cup with Cote d'Ivoire in the summer.

One player who may have a new chapter at the club is Joshua Zirkzee . Although there is still a possibility his future could be away from Old Trafford, he's looked like a different Zirkzee to the one we've seen in previous seasons.

Albeit it is pre-season, could Zirkzee provide cover for Bruno Fernandes in the No 10 position?

He was particularly impressive in Dublin against Leeds at a sold-out Croke Park, and in his third season at the club it will be intriguing to see how Carrick uses the Dutchman - if his future is at United.

One thing that has clearly stood out in pre-season is the development of their gameplan under Carrick and his staff.

It was quite clear watching them during his six-month spell last season that the team would largely defend on the edge of their own box. They were extremely solid and compact which underpinned some huge wins.

What we've seen in pre-season has been a deviation - or, perhaps, progression - from that. United are pushing higher and working harder to press and counter-press the opposition, especially to win the ball back quickly after a loss of possession.

They were slightly found out against Milan, with the press not quite sharp enough - the fourth goal, in particular, came from just one ball over a high-lined defence.

The game (although not wanting to exaggerate due to it still being pre-season!) was the perfect illustration of why United need to invest seriously in a left-back: not just because Luke Shaw will need to be rotated with the increased number of games that comes with European competition, but also due to the way United clearly want to play going forward.