Siddharth Juyal
Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag rules out Mason Mount and Raphael Varane for the game against Brighton & Hove Albion
During the press conference(h/t Mirror), Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag ruled out Mason Mount and Raphael Varane‘s involvement in the home game against Brighton & Hove Albion at Old Trafford this Saturday. United will have Lisandro Martinez and Victor Lindelof available to handle their defensive duties if selected.
Martinez sustained a foot injury in United’s 3-1 defeat against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium. Despite travelling, he didn’t feature for his country in both World Cup qualifiers during the international break.
Lindelof’s substitution against Arsenal was due to illness. But he actively played in both Euro 2024 qualifying games for Sweden during the international break.
Mount and Varane are still undergoing treatment for their respective injuries, but Ten Hag reassured reporters that “both are in a good place for a return.”
Varane signalled discomfort to the manager, leading to his substitution in the second half against Nottingham Forest. Sky Sports (h/t Daily Mail) reported on 29th August that Varane is facing an extended recovery period after taking a knock.
The report suggested that the Frenchman could miss up to six weeks of action. The United boss’s update is positive, as it has been 15 days since the report, which means the defender might return earlier than expected.
Mount suffered the injury earlier than Varane when United played Tottenham Hotspur away at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, losing 2-0. Ten Hag substituted the 24-year-old midfielder in the 85th minute of the game on August 19th.
At the time, the Mirror reported that they expected Mount to return after the international break, with an anticipated one-month lay-off. Despite the absentees, Ten Hag is keen to see the players available take their opportunity and make a difference.
“You have sometimes setbacks in seasons, players are injured or for other reasons are not available so you construct a squad and the squad is very good and the players who are available and motivated to give a good performance.”
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Ten Hag’s injury update will relieve United fans as a congested fixture period approaches. After the Saturday game, United will travel to Munich to face Bayern Munich in the opening game of the Champions League.
