Erik ten Hag admitted he was involved in regards to the eye-watering variety of accidents Manchester United are choosing up forward of their Champions League opener at Bayern Munich.
This has been a difficult begin to the season for the Previous Trafford giants, with off-field points compounded by a run of three defeats of their final 4 Premier League matches.
United’s 3-1 meek dwelling loss to Brighton is hardly the perfect preparation to face Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich on Wednesday, nor are the harm issues that proceed to pile up.
The Purple Devils have misplaced Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Harry Maguire because the weekend, becoming a member of the likes of Raphael Varane, Mason Mount, Luke Shaw and Tyrell Malacia on the sidelines.
“Sure, after all it’s a priority,” Ten Hag mentioned of the spate of accidents that leaves him with a 21-man squad in Germany that includes 4 goalkeepers.
“However we knew that earlier than and that’s why we constructed the squad with depth, so we are able to cope with it, the squad can cope with it.”
Requested whether or not he can converse to the medical workers in regards to the harm state of affairs, the United boss mentioned: “I don’t know if we now have to go to the docs or physios as a result of they’re coping with the issues.
“To start with, accidents all the time are available in high soccer as a result of we’re dwelling on the sting.
“After all we analyse why issues occur, however we additionally must cope with the information and it’s all the time in regards to the gamers accessible.
“That’s a robust aspect we are able to line up and we now have to get the perfect out of it and we’re specializing in that.
“To deliver up tomorrow once more, a superb staff, make the following step, combine Rasmus Hojlund, (Sergio) Reguilon), two new gamers and we’re right here to get a end result.”
Sofyan Amrabat, Kobbie Mainoo and Amad Diallo are others out of the Group A opener via harm, whereas Donny van de Beek is unavailable having been disregarded of United’s Champions League squad.
Past that, Jadon Sancho stays absent “pending decision of a squad self-discipline challenge” and Antony has been given a depart of absence following assault allegations in opposition to him.
“One factor is true, I believe from the beginning final season I believe I virtually by no means began with the perfect beginning XI – there was all the time one thing like harm,” Ten Hag mentioned.
“However you need to cope with it and I believe we all the time received the ends in other than the interval the place we’re in now.
“That’s soccer and I’ve the expertise up to now, I managed it up to now. It’s not all the time going up and you need to cope with it.
“I like these conditions as a result of now we now have to deal with it and we now have to handle this. You must know what to do and that’s specializing in the method.”
Ten Hag’s perception about their path is why he isn’t getting thrown off kilter by the negativity heading into United’s first Champions League match in 18 months.
“No, we don’t really feel that we want a reset,” the previous Bayern Munich reserve boss mentioned. “Completely not. “We’re in a course of and what you see is that in elements of video games we play superb however then additionally in elements of video games we performed beneath our ranges.
“What we now have to demand is be constant, so we now have to step up in sure ranges on a regular basis for 90-plus minutes. That’s the demand on us.”
Wednesday actually seems a tricky ask for United, who will face England captain Harry Kane after he joined Bayern following a summer season of hypothesis.
United have been strongly linked with the 30-year-old however plumped for promise somewhat than a confirmed goalscorer by signing Hojlund, 10 years his junior, from Atalanta.
“I believe we mentioned (Kane and Hojlund throughout pre-season), so I don’t suppose we now have to repeat this debate,” Ten Hag mentioned.
“We’re proud of Rasmus. Clearly first video games he was injured, he performed now Arsenal, he’s now began.
“Now after all we now have to combine him in a staff however you possibly can see he’s a giant expertise and he’ll contribute to our sport. We’re fairly assured of that.”
Requested if he had regrets about not signing Kane, Ten Hag merely responded: “No.”
