Roland Cutinho
Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag provides Rasmus Hojlund injury update
Manchester United coach Erik ten Hag has provided an update on striker Rasmus Hojlund ahead of the Premier League match against Nottingham Forest at Old Trafford on Saturday.
The Red Devils have experienced a mixed start to their new season, securing just three points from their initial two matches versus Wolverhampton Wanderers and Tottenham Hotspur.
Ten Hag will be keen on seeing a robust performance from his team against their next opponent, Forest, tomorrow. However, United are certainly missing a striker’s killer instincts, as their goal-scoring woes have continued to persist.
The English giants recently signed former Atlanta ace Hojlund this summer. But the 20-year-old has yet to make his debut owing to a back injury.
In a pre-match conference meeting ahead of the game, the Dutchman was asked about the player’s chances of making his debut against Forest. However, the manager has a rather disappointing response (as quoted by the club’s official website):
“Not for tomorrow. Today was the first time he came into team training. So next week we expect him to do a full week with all the team trainings. So he’s very near to make the squad.”
Per the manager’s statements, Hojlund has participated in full training today following his back problem. However, the youngster will need another week of training with the team before being considered for the matchday squad.
United are already facing a number of fitness-related issues, with key starting XI players Luke Shaw and Mason Mount also sidelined with injuries.
The club must identify internal solutions to manage the absence of the newly acquired striker. The Red Devils will host Steve Cooper’s team at Old Trafford, and they are expected to be the clear favourites.
In the previous season, the club played against Forest four times, winning all of those matches without letting in any goals.
The fans would hope that the Danish ace might be given the chance to play for their fourth game of the 2023-24 Premier League season, which is an away match against Arsenal next Sunday.
This update regarding Hojlund is positive news as it signifies progress, bringing his debut closer, and there’s a possibility we might witness it before the international break.
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Anthony Martial could get a chance to play in the starting XI in the upcoming game, while Marcus Rashford may shift to the left. It will be interesting to see how Ten Hag plans his first team, considering that many of the key players are unavailable.
Hence, we expect some fresh faces to feature on Saturday.
