Manchester United send groundsman to China to avoid pre-season pitch issues
Manchester United will send their groundsman to China ahead of the Red Devils’ pre-season friendly against Tottenham.
Dave Lindop will fly to Shanghai before the rest of the team to ensure the pitch at the Hongkou Stadium is in good condition following the forecast of thunderstorms.
It is rainy season in Shanghai, and United are cautious about the quality of the pitch following a postponement of a pre-season fixture against rivals Manchester City three years ago.
Heavy rainfall meant the pitch for that game was unplayable at the Bird's Nest Stadium in Beijing, and the side also had to endure a poor pitch at the Shanghai Stadium for a fixture against Borussia Dortmund on the same tour.
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It has been reported that ground staff at the club have visited the ground up to four times since November to ensure the pitch will be in good condition.
United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will be pleased with the start his squad have made to pre-season so far. United beat A-League side Perth Glory 2-0 at the Optus Stadium before beating Championship side Leeds United 4-0 at the same ground four days later.
The team are currently in Singapore ahead of their opening International Champions Cup (ICC) match against Inter Milan, before they head to Shanghai for the clash with Tottenham, where the club finish their tour of the region.
United will then face Norwegian side Kristiansund in Norway, before travelling to Cardiff to end their pre-season with their final ICC match against AC Milan.
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