Adam Webster wanted a full and tough pre-season.

He goes into Albion’s opener at Old Trafford happy he got just that, despite having to sit out one friendly.

Webster is likely to start on the left of the back three as the Seagulls take on Manchester United on Sunday.

He was there on Saturday as Espanyol were swept aside in the absence of Marc Cucurella.

Webster went on at half-time on the right of the three a week earlier in a 2-2 win at Reading.

He admitted early in pre-season that he never really got over a summer interrupted by Covid last term.

This time around, the one inconvenience was minor.

He told The Argus: “I missed the game in Portugal.

“I trained all week leading up to it but I had the weirdest dead calf.

“It was the worst dead calf I’ve ever had.

“But I was back in training early part of the next week. Nothing serious.”

He added: “It has been a good pre-season.

“It has been tough at times but it has been good to get the minutes going.

“I think we are all looking forward to getting it going properly now.”

That proper business starts against a United side under new management in Erik ten Hag.

There will be global attention on his first game in charge. Their 4-0 defeat at the Amex late last season will be remembered in the build-up to the game, no doubt.

Webster said: “It’s a different Man United now.

“They have got a new manager, a different philosophy and you can already see that in some of the clips from their pre-season.

“How different they are playing and how difficult it is going to be for us.

“It’s never easy when you go and play at Old Trafford.

“But certainly now, first game of the season, new manager, some new faces in, it will probably be a really tough test for us.”

Albion know that. They have never won at Old Trafford, nor gained a Premier League point.

They looked well set to get some reward last season when they were the better side in the first half.

But United turned things around after the break, helped by a moment of Cristiano Ronaldo magic.

A first win at the Theatre of Dreams would be a real coup and Albion will go north with belief.

Webster said: “I think we can take confidence from the end of last season.

“It’s the same group. We have added some new faces but it’s the same group, pretty much.

“Our responsibilities are still the same and we have had a few years together now.

“We have got a great team spirit, a great work ethic about us all so we are really looking forward to it.”