It has not been a month since pre-season officially kicked off and Erik ten Hag is having to deal with problem after problem, which has given fans cause for concern.
After starting his pre-season with a loss to Norwegian side Rosenborg and blasting his players for their attitude towards the game, he went on to earn a 2-0 win over Scottish Premier League side Rangers before facing fellow Premier League side Arsenal and losing to them.
In all matches, his team did not play their best but the Arsenal match has added another layer to his already existing headache.
The club lost both Rasmus Højlund and Leny Yoro to injury as they lost 2-1 to Arsenal courtesy of Goals from Gabriel Jesus and Gabriel Martinelli. Højlund opened the scoring in the game before being taken off.
Should the Dane fail to recover before the start of the season, this would be his second straight season without playing United’s first games. The same thing happened when he joined the club last summer and he missed the first five Premier League games of the club.
Yoro’s case is a lot more disappointing as United are short on centreback options without the teenage sensation. The Dutch manager expressed concern and disappointment over the injuries while also finding time to praise his team for their performance against Arsenal in what fans believe is a facade ahead of the 2024/25 season.
On the injuries suffered by both players, ten Hag said: “Of course, it is too short [to know about their injuries], and we have to wait over 24 hours, then we will hopefully know more. We were careful, especially with Leny [Yoro], as he only did 50 per cent of the [training] sessions. He has to come up, but let’s be positive and see what comes out.”
On the match, he said: “I think [the game] was a very good level for the third week of pre-season, from both sides, but in the first half I thought we were the better team. We scored a very good goal, a very good ball in behind from {statorium_player pid=186 text=”[Marcus] Rashford”} and then [Rasmus] Hojlund with a very good move and a finish, I was very pleased. We also created some more good chances and we then conceded the goal which was offside.”
United still have Real Betis and Liverpool to come. Before then, they could have added the services of Moroccan fullback Noussair Mazraoui, as reports indicate that the Bayern Munich man has given the go-ahead to both clubs to negotiate his transfer.
