Erik ten Hag admits that Manchester United are “not ready” for their Premier League opener at home against Fulham on Friday night.
Erik ten Hag has admitted that Manchester United are “not ready” for their Premier League opener at home against Fulham on Friday night.
When the Red Devils walk out in front of the Old Trafford crowd for the first game of the 2024-25 campaign, a total of 82 days will have passed since they ended the previous season on a high by winning the FA Cup, beating rivals Manchester City 2-1 in the final at Wembley.
Man United have since taken part in five pre-season friendlies, including a tour of the United States, and most recently lost on penalties to Man City in the Community Shield last weekend, following a 1-1 draw in 90 minutes.
Under the control of minority shareholder Sir Jim Ratcliffe, Ten Hag has overseen nine first-team departures, while four new signings have been made for a combined fee in excess of £130m.
Defensive duo Matthijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui joined the Red Devils from Bayern Munich earlier this week, and Ten Hag has confirmed that both players are in contention to make their debuts for the club against Fulham on Friday.
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Ten Hag reveals ‘problems’ ahead of PL opener
Striker Joshua Zirkzee, who has joined from Bologna for around £42m, could also make his first appearance for Man United, but teenage defender Leny Yoro, a £52m signing from Lille, is ruled out with a foot injury.
Rasmus Hojlund, Tyrell Malacia and injury-plagued Luke Shaw will also miss Friday’s contest, and Ten Hag has revealed that managing the fitness of his players – particularly those who were away on international duty over the summer – has been challenging, as it has been for others managers in the Premier League.
“It’s true it’s not the pre-season where you can in five, six weeks work on the team,” Ten Hag told reporters at a press conference on Thursday. “It’s very complicated.
“We had the USA tour squad, then we add the players who did the Euros and Copa America, and now new signings and now we have to make a team from it.
“That team is not ready, but the league starts – and there are more managers to deal with this problem.
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Ten Hag: ‘We can’t hide ourselves’
“We definitely have this problem but, still, we have some rules, some principles and we have to make a start. We can’t hide ourselves, we can’t run away from it, so we have to deal with it.”
Ten Hag added: “Issues are there but it’s not about the players who are not available. It’s also what I said always last season.
“It’s about the players who are available and we have a good group, we can make a strong selection, we can put out a strong team so we will do.”
Ten Hag has won two trophies in two seasons as Man United manager and the Dutchman has insisted that the club “want to go for trophies” once again this season, as well as make vast improvements in the Premier League after slumping to an eighth-placed finish in 2023-24.
Man United kick-start the new campaign against a Fulham outfit who beat the Red Devils 2-1 at Old Trafford in February last season.
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