Ten Hag: "All clubs have to deal with key players missing"

Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag will be without several key players for the upcoming matches due to injury or suspension. Furthermore, the Dutchman has been unable to count on Casemiro and Christian Eriksen for the last month.

Both players returned to action in Thursday's Europa League match against Sevilla. However, the Red Devils lost key players in that game. Bruno Fernandes will miss the second leg because he received a yellow card and is suspended.

The English side announced on Friday that Lisandro Martinez is "ruled out for the remainder of the season after fracturing a metatarsal bone in his foot". Moreover, Varane will also be unavailable as he picked up an injury in the same game and is expected to be out for a few weeks.

Marcus Rashford missed the match against Sevilla due to a muscle injury and his return is uncertain as it will depend on his recovery progress.

Ten Hag was asked about the absentees at the press conference ahead of the Premier League match against Nottingham Forest and he said: "All clubs have to deal with key players missing but then other players are coming in.

"Of course, you always want to play your best eleven, especially when you go to the final stages [of competitions] and when they are not available others have to do it. And I think we prove [ourselves] when they are not there," he added.

"Last week, we were discussing who is going to score the goals. Marcel Sabizter scored two goals on Thursday. We talked a lot about Casemiro. Can the team play without Casemiro? But we proved against Brentford and against Everton that we can also play without him and win difficult and important games.

"We have to deal with it and we will do and that is now also the case that when he's dropping out, always, we have to take over and take responsibility," Ten Hag concluded.

 

April 14, 2023