Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson is keen to use their preseason tour to bed down new signings Shinji Kagawa and Nick Powell.

Ferguson has suggested he is close to finalising his plans for the squad in preparation for the new campaign with Durban the first stop on the global tour.

"It'll be important for Shinji Kagawa, who will be coming on his first tour with us," the boss told MUTV. "He'll get to know players like Paul Scholes, Michael Carrick and Rio Ferdinand - the experienced players in the camp. It'll be important for the boy to get settled in.

"The issue is getting to know the players and getting to mix them. They'll eat together for nearly two weeks and it's an important time. Shinji doesn't speak English so he'll have his interpreter with him and hopefully, by the time he comes back, he'll speak good Scottish!

"Of course, we have Nick Powell as well who is 18 so it'll be a great step up for the boy. We'll take a few of the young players too - potentially including the likes of Tyler Blackett, Larnell Cole, Jesse Lingard and Michael Keane.

"[Michael Keane's brother] Will has, of course, got a bad injury and will be out for almost a year which is a blow for the boy.

"But we'll take a good collection of the young players who are emerging through the ranks."