Ten Hag spoke ahead of Tuesday’s clash with Barnsley (Picture: Man Utd via Getty Images)
Erik ten Hag has eased Manchester United’s injury fears over Lisandro Martinez, Matthijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui but Luke Shaw is still not ready to make his return to the first-team.
United sealed a 3-0 win over Southampton on Saturday in perhaps their most competent performance of the new season so far. Ten Hag takes his side to Barnsley on Tuesday night for their opening match of their Carabao Cup campaign, the same trophy the Dutchman won in his first season in charge at Old Trafford.
Martinez and Mazraoui were forced off in the 77th and 74th minute respectively at St Mary’s with de Ligt following late on – with the centre-half later suggesting the problem was merely a cramp.
United were blighted by injuries to their backline last season with summer signing Leny Yoro sidelined until November after suffering a broken metatarsal in July.
While ten Hag suggested he will still look to rotate his squad tomorrow night at Oakwell, that defensive trio are all fit and available despite the weekend scare.
‘They are all available,’ ten Hag told a press conference on Monday. ‘They are good.
‘I hope I have headaches because, last year, I also had headaches, but there were no players available.
Mazraoui has been superb since his move from Bayern (Picture: AMA/Getty Images)
‘So, I hope I have many players available and we can make a selection from game to game. Definitely, we have to rotate because we have to cover so many games and so it’s not only about a starting XI.’
Rasmus Hojlund is still to feature this season as he recovers from a hamstring injury with Shaw also still unavailable.
The left-back has not played for his club since February and despite both players being slated to return after September’s international break, they did not make the squad on Saturday against Southampton.
Hojlund remains unavailable, alongside Mason Mount and Tyrell Malacia, with ten Hag admitting there is no definitive return date set for Shaw.
‘First, Luke Shaw, he’s progressing but not ready yet to be selected,’ ten Hag said.
‘Of course, we have a plan in our head when he can be ready but you are always dependent on how the progress will go. You can’t think, you can’t make a suggestion [of a return date] because there are so many factors why a plan can accelerate or slow down.’
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