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Alexis Sanchez is the one player that Manchester United can ill afford to be without on their pre-season tour of America.In the absence of a raft of World Cup stars, Sanchez was the biggest name in the United squad expected to land in Los Angeles last weekend.Instead, the club’s highest earner on £500,000-a-week was left at home in Manchester, unable to get a visa to enter the US. Sanchez has been working with his lawyer Ruben Inostroza Povea and United’s legal team to resolve the issue, which relates to him accepting a 16-month prison sentence in February for defrauding the Spanish tax authorities of £885,000 during his time as a Barcelona player.It is hoped that the 29-year-old will be able to obtain a visa waiver in time to join up with the five-match tour, which begins with a game against MLS side Club America in Phoenix in the early hours of Friday morning. RELATED ARTICLES Previous 1 Next ‘I’m not buying that’: Manchester United unveil their most… From the £60m man who dazzled for Brazil but not at… Manchester United axe third of staff from pre-season US tour… ‘#HesComingHome’: Daley Blind rejoins Ajax for £18m from… Share this article Share But his absence in the US would be a blow to both United and the organisers of the International Champions Cup who have set up exhibition games for Jose Mourinho’s side against AC Milan, Liverpool and Real Madrid.Aside from the fact that Mourinho needs as much time as possible to work with a player who struggled for form after joining the club from Arsenal in January, this is not a United squad brimming with its usual collection of big names. The World Cup in Russia means that most of United’s stars won’t be seen Stateside this summer. Indeed, Anthony Martial, Juan Mata, Ander Herrera, Antonio Valencia, Chris Smalling, Eric Bailly, Luke Shaw, Matteo Darmian, Scott McTominay and Sergio Romero are the only recognisable first-team players in a squad bolstered by the inclusion of no fewer than seven teenagers and new signing Diogo Dalot.Sanchez, a South American star with Chile who would appeal to the Hispanic football fans in California, Arizona and Miami, where United end their tour against Madrid, is not a man whose absence can be easily overlooked. Nor are the American public so easily satisfied these days.ICC organisers have already been forced to downgrade United’s game against Milan from the 90,000-capacity Pasadena Rose Bowl to the 27,000 StubHub Center in Carson City. MAN UTD PRE-SEASON July 20: Club America (Phoenix Stadium, Arizona) 3amJuly 23: San Jose Earthquakes, Levi’s Stadium, California) MidnightJuly 26: AC Milan (International Champions Cup – StubHub Center, California) 4amJuly 28: Liverpool (International Champions Cup – Michigan Stadium, Michigan) 10pmAugust 1: Real Madrid (International Champions Cup – Hard Rock Stadium, Florida) 1amAugust 5: Bayern Munich (Allianz Arena) 7.15pm *All dates and times BST Although United’s clash with Liverpool in the Big Ho
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