Robin van Persie linked up with Manchester United for the Australia leg of their pre-season tour a day after David Moyes clarified Wayne Rooney was not guaranteed of a starting berth in the team.
Van Persie and David de Gea were excused the weekend defeat to Singha All Stars in Bangkok in order to give them maximum recovery time after their summer international commitments.
But both have now joined Moyes' squad for an intense week of training in Sydney ahead of Saturday's sell-out clash with an A-League All Stars outfit at ANZ Stadium.
Van Persie arrives in Sydney at the weekend
Rooney still dominates United's pre-season even though he is back in Britain with a hamstring injury.
Sir Alex Ferguson said the striker handed in a transfer request last season, and though the Scot has retired the uncertainty over Rooney's future continues to lurk.
United fans have become disenchanted with the striker, but Rooney hopes a show of support via a new contract will quell the doubters.
Moyes, however, suggested a new deal would not be forthcoming this summer and reminded Rooney he had downgraded from pivotal to peripheral in the wake of Van Persie's arrival.
Van Persie trains with new United coach Phil Neville
Moyes told the Sunday Times: “I think Wayne can play up-top, he can play dropped in. Overall my thought on Wayne is that if for any reason we had an injury to Robin [van Persie] we’re going to need him. I want to be able to play the two of them. I want to be able to use Danny Welbeck, Chicharito as well. We need to see how it works.
"Maybe in a year’s time we might have to look at something else. The first year, I think I have to get a chance to see [the players] and how best to use them."
Rooney's contract expires in 2015 but Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain are both interested in signing him this summer.