Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has acknowledged that both Casemiro and Lisandro Martinez are unlikely to recover from their respective injuries before Christmas.
The Red Devils have faced numerous injury and fitness issues, and Ten Hag has struggled to field his preferred starting lineup.
Casemiro sustained a hamstring injury during a recent defeat to Newcastle United in the Carabao Cup, while Lisandro Martinez underwent surgery to address a recurring metatarsal problem. Although Martinez was not expected to play again in 2023, Casemiro’s injury was initially believed to keep him out for only a few weeks.
However, speaking ahead of a Champions League match against FC Copenhagen, Ten Hag revealed that Casemiro is facing a race against time to return before the end of the calendar year.
“I have some time schedules, yeah, but it’s always difficult to predict that because they can get setbacks during the rehab period, so I’m always holding back a little bit on some issues,” Ten Hag said.
“I expect some [players] back but Casemiro and Martinez are really strong injuries and I don’t expect them back before Christmas. It’s several weeks.”
In better news for United, Marcus Rashford and Harry Maguire are both in line to start in Copenhagen. The forward missed Saturday’s win at Fulham having sustained a heavy knock in training, while the defender sustained a head injury early on at Craven Cottage but managed to complete the match.
“We did all the protocols during the game, after the game, so [Maguire] is ready to play,” Ten Hag continued. “Rashford? 100% [fit]. Harry was fine in the game, so no problems.
“He played a very good game. Rashy missed one game out, a small knock but he’s back.”