Park misses United trip

Manchester United set off for Malaysia and the first stop on a four-match tour of the Far East without their number one draw, two new signings and Nemanja Vidic.

It is thought both Vidic, who has still not fully shrugged off an ankle injury picked up on international duty with Serbia last month, and Antonio Valencia will link up with their team-mates for two matches in Germany and the end of their trip.

Winger Gabriel Oberton could also be in Munich too for matches against Boca Juniors on July 29 and either Bayern or AC Milan at the Allianz Arena 24 hours later.

However, the absence of Park Ji-sung from the 22-man squad that flew out of Manchester this lunchtime was the biggest surprise of all.

The South Korean missed out on a similar tour two years ago after suffering a cruciate knee ligament injury, although he would not have played anyway because it clashed with the Asia Cup.

The reason for Park’s absence this time around is not clear and will probably remain so until the United party land in Kuala Lumpur tomorrow.

It would be a major blow if he was ruled out of the entire tour though as Park’s home city of Seoul is the third stop on another eagerly-awaited visit, that also takes in trips to Indonesia and Hangzhou in China.

The support United have commanded in South Korea since Park moved to the Red Devils from PSV Eindhoven is astonishing and club officials would have been keen to maintain the momentum.

Fans will be unable to watch Valencia, which will be a major disappointment for the player, at £17m Ferguson’s biggest signing of the summer.

With Ferguson declaring his close-season transfer business over, it is to Valencia the Red Devils’ faithful will look to fill the enormous gap left by Cristiano Ronaldo’s world record £80m departure for Real Madrid.

It is not a position the South American is entirely comfortable with and one he is pretty eager to distance himself from.

“I don’t make any comparisons between myself and Cristiano,” he said. “Obviously Cristiano did very well here but when I had my first conversations with Manchester United, it was never said I was coming here as a replacement for him.

“What I want is to make sure I do my own job and concentrate on the things I do well. That is the main thing for me because I have a real desire to be a success here.”

While Michael Owen did check in for his first pre-season campaign as a United player, two more who did not make a 22-man squad that does include Zoran Tosic and Federico Macheda were full-back Rafael Da Silva and England midfielder Owen Hargreaves.

Given the latest assessment of Hargreaves’ recovery from operations to cure a tendinitis problem in both knees was a return to action in September was the earliest possible date, his failure to make the trip is not a surprise.

However, it is a reminder of how long the former Bayern man has been on the sidelines and as his 12-month ’anniversary’ edges closer, supporters will want to see some sign of an imminent return.