In addition, Manchester United lost to Grimsby in the League Cup, which means there are no domestic competitions until January. Manchester United have only played mid-season friendlies twice beforeFriendlies are a lucrative and easy way for United to bring in money. After this, the logical step from a financial side would be mid-season friendlies, which are not unheard of at Old Trafford. United have played friendlies mid-season twice in the Premier League era, first against Al Hilal in 2008, as the Mirror reported at the time, months before winning the Champions League. Secondly, in 2022, United played Cadiz and Real Betis after the World Cup break, which was more due to the month-long hiatus of the league.