Manchester United have confirmed their 25-man Champions League squad, with eight players added to the B-list ahead of their opening match against Sabah FK

Eight players have been added to Manchester United's squad ahead of their Champions League clash against Sabah. United make their return to Europe's top competition by welcoming the Azerbaijani side to Old Trafford on Thursday night.

Michael Carrick's side feature in the tournament nearly three years after finishing bottom of their group in 2023/24. United named their 25-man Champions League squad last week, with highly-rated youngsters Kobbie Mainoo and Leny Yoro notably absent.

That squad remains fixed for the league phase, yet both players remain available for selection thanks to the B list. Players can be allocated in this area if they are young and club-trained.

Players born on or after 1 January 2005, who have been eligible to play for the club for two consecutive years since turning 15 (or three years including a loan spell), are permitted to feature on the B list. This list can be updated throughout the tournament, with players required to be submitted to UEFA either on or before the day prior to a Champions League fixture.

United have moved swiftly to place Yoro and Mainoo on the list alongside six further players. Left-back Harry Amass, central defender Daniel Armer, Darren Fletcher's sons Jack and Tyler Fletcher, midfielder Jim Thwaites and exciting prospect Shea Lacey have all been named ahead of United's first European outing of the campaign.

Youngsters Ayden Heaven and Tynan Thompson were ineligible to feature on the B list. Both players have been placed in United's 25-man squad or 'A list' as neither has been at United long enough to qualify for the 'B list'.

Amass could yet feature for United after Luke Shaw missed training on Wednesday. Carrick suggested the defender had simply earned another recovery day.

United's participation in Europe's premier competition has been less frequent than the club grew used to following Sir Alex Ferguson's exit. Nonetheless, Carrick is determined to galvanise his team towards a strong showing in the Champions League and deliver both consistency and a deep run in the tournament.

"Well, we certainly can achieve it, we're capable of achieving it," said Carrick. "It's up to us to then take the step of doing that. I think you saying that as well shows the steps that we're trying to make from previous years of not being in the later stages of the competition.

"I think we've got to be humble enough and realistic enough to know where we're coming from and where we want to get to. That, like you say, Bruno's only played in that one. It's part of us to keep pushing the standards and to be the best we can possibly be.

"We want to be there as quickly as possible, as everybody does, but again, it's understanding the steps that need to be put in place to be able to do that.

"We're capable of some really, really good things, and especially on our day, we feel that we can go up against anybody and come out on top.

"It's up to us to bring that over a consistent period and consistency through games. In the end, that gets you the results and hopefully puts us in those stages that you're talking about."

United's 25-man Champions League squad (A List):.

Goalkeepers: Karl Darlow, Tom Heaton, Senne Lammens, Dermot Mee. Defenders: Patrick Dorgu, Diogo Dalot, Matthijs de Ligt, Harry Maguire, Lisandro Martinez, Noussair Mazraoui, Luke Shaw, Ayden Heaven.

Midfielders: Carlos Baleba, Bruno Fernandes, Mason Mount, Andrey Santos, Youri Tielemans, Manuel Ugarte.

Forwards: Amad, Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo, Marcus Rashford, Benjamin Sesko, Joshua Zirkzee, Tynan Thompson.