This dispatch comes to you from Perth, where the majority of us who are covering Manchester United are staying in the same hotel as Leeds United.
Leeds were in the same boutique hotel three years ago when they faced United in Perth. This time, they are taking on Crystal Palace at the Optus Stadium on Friday evening, 24 hours prior to United's final friendly in Australia against Aston Villa.
United trained for the final time at AAMI Park in Melbourne on Wednesday morning before flying to Western Australia, where they are again training at the storied WACA Stadium. Their session at 10am on Thursday morning has already sold out.
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Masks are still donned on flights and hand sanitiser stations are ubiquitous but mixed zones are open again, so journalists are able to interact with footballers in person rather than articulate questions over the muffled sound of Zoom.
Tyrell Malacia was brought over to us in Bangkok and Anthony Elanga after United's first night at Melbourne Cricket Ground. Following the victory over Crystal Palace, we had nearly 10 minutes with Bruno Fernandes.
The tour started with an interview with Fred conducted in his mother tongue without a translator. Fred was good value, in spite none of us not having a clue what he was saying, but his fellow Portuguese-speaker Fernandes is a dream of a talker on Zoom, never mind in person.
Fernandes spoke authoritatively on a range of subjects. He would have happily accepted the captaincy had Harry Maguire been stripped of it and the Portuguese is one of the obvious figures in the leadership group Ten Hag might lean on.
Those credentials were apparent again when Fernandes met Ryan Papenhuyzen of the rugby league side Melbourne Storm. Papenhuyzen last week sustained a fractured kneecap injury in the Storm's 20-16 defeat to Canberra Raiders at AAMI Park and will require surgery.
Upon hearing the news, Fernandes arranged for the fullback to attend United's win over Palace at the MCG and presented him with a match-worn shirt after the game. Papenhuyzen was on crutches as he hobbled through the mixed zone to be greeted by Fernandes, who has also invited Papenhuyzen to Old Trafford whenever he can attend.
Papenhuyzen said: "Bit of a back story: when he found out of the injury he asked if he was able to come up the hospital and visit. He’d just come off a week of non-stop training and media commitments and that was his first though. Fan for life now. Jersey swap on way."
Jadon Sancho, seen dashing through the mixed zone post-match on Tuesday evening, checked on Papenhuyzen's well-being and Luke Shaw, who suffered a double leg break against PSV Eindhoven in 2015, sent him a video message.
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