Manchester United Announce China Tour 2016 Squad: Full Lineup, Details, Reaction

Manchester United have revealed their 25-man squad for their pre-season tour of China, with Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Anthony Martial both missing out, though there is a place for Juan Mata. 

The Red Devils announced the squad in its entirety on their Instagram page:

Martial was a part of France's UEFA Euro 2016 squad, with Les Bleus reaching the final of the competition.

Samuel Luckhurst of the Manchester Evening News confirmed the Frenchman, Ibrahimovic, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Matteo Darmian and Morgan Schneiderlin are all absent due to their involvement in the European Championship and therefore are still on holiday.

Meanwhile, Guillermo Varela "will probably be sold," Cameron Borthwick-Jackson "is believed to be injured" and James Wilson may have been excluded following a poor performance against Wigan Athletic in their pre-season friendly.

He added further context to some of the selections:

"

Mourinho is taking as many academy graduates on tour as Van Gaal did last year. #mufc

— Samuel Luckhurst (@samuelluckhurst) July 19, 2016"

Football writer Chris Winterburn hailed the inclusion of Axel Tuanzebe:

Mata's future has been the subject of speculation since manager Jose Mourinho's arrival at the club after the Special One sold him soon after returning to Chelsea—despite the Spaniard being the Blues' player of the year twice running.

However, per The Independent's Mark Critchley, on Monday Mata seemingly suggested he would be staying at Old Trafford this summer, and his inclusion in the squad could lend further credence to the notion he won't be sold after all.

The race for the Premier League title could be exceptionally tight next season—United, Chelsea and Manchester City are all likely to improve under their new managers, while the likes of Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool could all have a say even if they don't win it themselves. 

A strong pre-season campaign will be as vital as ever. Several key players missing out on the tour is hardly ideal, but it will still give summer signings Eric Bailly and Henrikh Mkhitaryan the chance to bed in with the team.