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.”

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After Andre Onana yelled at Harry Maguire in a preseason loss, Lisandro Martinez maintained that Manchester United would be “better” if players called each other out for losing focus.

Man Utd were beaten 3-2 by Bundesliga outfit Borussia Dortmund at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas at the weekend, and the most talked about incident that occurred in the game was undoubtedly Onana’s outburst at Maguire.

After an erroneous pass from the former captain gave Dortmund an opportunity on goal, the Red Devils’ new goalkeeper, who was signed from Inter this summer for a fee of £47 million inclusive of add-ons, rushed across his penalty area to berate Maguire.

When asked about the incident by the media, Martinez, a fellow defender, expressed his opinion that such occurrences are excellent since they make the team more “really sharp.”

“It’s better for [it], it’s better for [it]. If you are focused, you can fight with your teammates as well, you need to make sure everyone is really sharp, but nothing happened,” Martinez said.

“It’s part of football. He has a big personality. He can play football, he can deal with the pressure, he’s really positive, he’s a leader, that’s the style of Manchester United.”

Onana also commented on the incident in an interview with MUTV, saying: “I try to demand a lot from him because I know he is a good player.

“He’s one of the captains of the team. He’s big, he’s good with the ball so I will demand [from] him a lot. He’s a great guy, I have a good relationship with him. He has to be ready because when I’m on the ball I demand to everyone a lot – I start with myself because we are in this together.

“Mistakes come but we don’t have to be afraid to make mistakes because this is a part of life and we learn from the mistakes.

“We have to be very critical with ourselves. If we want to win prizes we have to demand a lot. It’s a big honour to be here and I’m very happy to work with these guys – Harry is a fantastic player so we will move on.”

This weekend, Man Utd will play two friendly to wrap off their preseason preparations. First, they will host Lens at Old Trafford before playing Athletic Club in Dublin.

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After the team’s FA Cup semifinal victory over Brighton, Luke Shaw acknowledged that playing centre defence for Manchester United is “not easy.”

Due to the injuries to Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez as well as Harry Maguire’s domestic suspension, the Red Devils’ defence was forced to make use of the natural left-back at the centre position.

Shaw, who has already filled the position a few times this season, appeared very at ease playing with Victor Lindelof in centre defence during the final penalty shootout victory at Wembley Stadium, managing to contain an outstanding Brighton attacking unit for more than 120 minutes.

Despite looking like a natural in the role, speaking to the press after the game, Shaw admitted to finding the positional change to be a challenge, stating: “Obviously it’s not easy [playing at centre-back]. If it was in a three, it’s a bit different. But when it’s two, it’s a lot different, to be honest.

“But whenever I play there, I really enjoy it and obviously we had a couple days [to prepare]. The manager spoke to me about it and Victor of course because against a team like this they’re very tricky, a lot of tactical [information]. Sometimes I had to stay in the middle of the pitch to follow them.

“So it’s something new but I love playing there, I love playing football. To get the win today was the most important thing.”

When Harry Maguire returns from his one-match ban on Thursday evening for the encounter against Tottenham Hotspur, Shaw might be moved back across to left-back.

Luke Shaw has unquestionably been one of Manchester United’s best and most reliable players under Erik ten Hag this season, along with goalscorer Marcus Rashford.

The defender has so far played a significant role in the new manager’s plans, appearing in 39 games across all competitions for the club and consistently turning up strong performances.

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After undergoing successful surgery, Lisandro Martinez has begun his recovery from a season-ending injury at Manchester United.

An untimely metatarsal fracture sustained while playing Sevilla in the Europa League quarterfinals has ended the debut season of the Argentina international defender, who helped his nation win the World Cup in Qatar 2022.

Martinez had to have surgery, but everything went according to plan, so the feisty 25-year-old is now prepared to start his rehabilitation with the expectation that he will be ready to go for the Red Devils in 2023–24.

Martinez has said in a post on Instagram as he recovers in hospital: “Everything went really well, thanks to God! Many thanks for all of your messages. Now focusing on the recovery.”

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Lisandro Martinez (@lisandromartinezzz)

Martinez followed Erik Ten Hag from Ajax to Manchester in the summer of 2022. Despite early concerns about his height when facing a Premier League challenge, Martinez has made 45 appearances for United this season, helping them to end a six-year trophy drought when they won the Carabao Cup final against Newcastle.

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Erik ten Hag has disclosed Lisandro Martinez, Raphael Varane & Marcus Rashford could miss the return leg against Sevilla with injuries.

An amazing night at Old Trafford came to an end as Manchester United dropped the first leg of their Europa League quarterfinal match against Sevilla on Thursday night after surrendering a 2-0 lead in the final 10 minutes.

The Red Devils’ predicament worsened when it was revealed that Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez, their two starting centre backs, had both sustained significant injuries. As a result, they are now questionable for the second leg, which will take place in Andalusia on Thursday.

Varane was substituted after the first half, although Martinez needed assistance getting off the field after falling on the ground without any teammates around. Even though Ten Hag was unable to ascertain the exact nature of their injuries, he didn’t appear very concerned and asserted that his team had capable substitutes.

“When Licha Martinez drops out with no opponent involved, it doesn’t look that great. I cannot tell what it is but it is not achilles. No that is not the area. Rapha [Varane] was injured. We have very good replacements [for Licha] with Harry Maguire, Victor Lindelof, Luke Shaw, so we have players who can replace them. But of course, it is a miss,” he told BT Sport after the match.

“I think he [Martínez] will not play on Sunday. It looks like that but I can’t say what is the diagnosis and I prefer to wait and then we are clear and we know exactly what it is. I have spoken with him [Martínez], he is okay, he is calm. Of course and we compete in three competitions and then you need a squad. So if Licha Martínez, Rapha Varane are not available on Sunday then others have to do it,” he stated.

Ten Hag made a couple of surprising substitutions as he took off Bruno Fernandes and Antony, both on yellow cards, in the fear that they could get sent off and as he had used up all the five changes he was left with no replacements when Martinez had to go off.

However, Ten Hag chose to defend his substitutions and also shared a fitness update on Marcus Rashford: “Bruno I got a warning from the ref about a second booking, same with Antony, I had to make the subs, no other choice. Then Martial, first start for a long period, so we had to make him on the 60. There is a chance [that Rashford returns next Thursday] but I can’t confirm it at this moment.”

After playing Nottingham Forest in the Premier League on Sunday, Manchester United will travel to Sevilla for the second leg of the Europa League quarterfinal on Thursday.

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Manchester United captain Harry Maguire feels that his performances this season have done him “justice,” but he is convinced that he will not be satisfied until he plays in every game.

Maguire has unceremoniously fallen down the pecking order at Old Trafford this season after being one of the first names on the teamsheet under the previous manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. Erik ten Hag has preferred a Lisandro Martinez–Raphael Varane partnership and will frequently turn to Victor Lindelof from the bench if he wants an extra layer of defensive protection.

After the embarrassing 4-0 loss to Brentford in August, Maguire was benched, and he hasn’t started back-to-back Premier League games since.

“This year I feel I am in a good place mentally, physically and every time I’ve started a game of football I’ve done myself justice and done well,” he said after playing all 90 minutes of the 2-0 win against Everton over the weekend.

“I’m not going to stand here and say I love it, or that I like it. I don’t,” he said of his situation this season. “I want to play every game and I have done for the last eight years of my career. Also, I have to respect the manager and his decisions and also respect how good the competition is at centre-back at this club. It is, and I believe that.”

Having lifted the Carabao Cup already this season, Maguire still has his eyes on two more as United target the FA Cup and Europa League. He also predicts ‘numerous starts’ in what remains of 2022/23.

“I will work as hard as I can in training and take every game as it comes as I’m sure I’m going to get numerous starts between now and the end of the season,” he said.

“It is not like I’ve not started. I’ve started the last two games before the international break against Fulham and Betis. It is not like I’ve been frozen out or not been involved. I’m still playing a lot of games but obviously as a footballer I want to play every game. But I’m sure every other centre-back in the dressing room does as well and the manager cannot play all four.”

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Erik ten Hag has revealed why “The Butcher” Lisandro Martinez is so important to Manchester United, where he currently plays.

When the Argentine international moved to England in the summer of 2022 after following former manager Ten Hag from Ajax, there were concerns over whether he was the best choice for Old Trafford.

Fears about the South American’s short stature as a centre-half were voiced, but he has since won the World Cup with his nation and gained a fanbase in Manchester.

United boss Ten Hag has said of the qualities that Martinez brings to any team, with the Dutch coach hoping to continue working with the 25-year-old defender for many years to come: “I see ‘The Butcher’ in a positive way. Not in a negative way. His playing [style is] tough but not unfair. I think he is, especially, he is a defender, and he is defending in a good way – on the ball because it is [about] positioning, anticipation and co-operation.

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“It is sublime. It’s extraordinary to work with him and because he has that capacity, and he wants to improve day by day. So, it’s nice to see his defending style. His attitude – everyone loves it, the fans love it, the defence loves it, and it gives spirit to the team. [When he is] on the ball, he can deal with it. I like him as a player. I like the attitude [that he has], and I hope that we can co-operate for a long time together.”

Martinez has made 37 appearances for United in all competitions this season, forming a successful relationship with fellow World Cup winner Raphael Varane. Martinez also assisted the Red Devils in ending a six-year trophy drought as they defeated Newcastle in the 2023 Carabao Cup final.

Martinez and colleagues will return to action on Thursday when the Red Devils take on Real Betis in the first leg of their Europa League last-16 match. The Red Devils’ last Premier League match ended in a humiliating 7-0 loss at Liverpool.

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Gary Neville acknowledges that Casemiro has been “devastating” for Manchester United, but he doesn’t believe the £70 million man was a “smart signing.”

This summer, the Brazilian completed a massive £70 million ($84 million) transfer from Real Madrid to United, becoming their sixth-most expensive signing ever. Although having trouble at first adjusting to life in England, Casemiro has cemented himself as a key player in Erik ten Hag’s starting lineup.

He has also contributed a couple of goals, one of which was in United’s victory over Newcastle United in the Carabao Cup final.

While Neville admits the 31-year-old has had a significant influence at Old Trafford, he still thinks the club’s hefty investment in the ageing midfielder was misguided. Instead, he desires that his previous team concentrate on more youthful players who are still at the peak of their careers, such as Lisandro Martinez and Antony.

“I feel like Ten Hag is not going to sign [marquee names]. If new owners come in they’re going to want to make a statement, they’ll want to blow the transfer market open. I don’t think that will suit him,” Neville said when discussing United’s potential summer plans on the Sky Sports show The Overlap.

“I think he’ll want those younger, hungrier ones that have still got that growth rather than the finished article. Casemiro obviously defeats that a little bit, but you look at Antony and Lisandro Martinez, they’re younger and hungrier. I think that’s the type of player he’ll want to add to this squad rather than saying, ‘Oh, Kylian Mbappe’s available or so-and-so is available’.

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But Casemiro, there’s no doubt – we all said it by the way – £60m? £70m? And £20m-a-year [contract] for five years is a £170m investment. That is a massive investment. It’s not a smart or shrewd signing when you look at it from a [big picture] point of view. None of us thought that. But the impact he’s having in the short term and what Manchester United need now, he’s devastating for the club in unbelievable ways.”

Harry Kane of Tottenham has been linked to a transfer to United recently, and while Neville is a great fan of the 29-year-old as well, he has the same concerns about signing him as he had with Casemiro.

“You know something, I’ve worked with him and you watch him. He will score 30 goals, he will get 10-15 assists, and that is an absolute fact,” the United legend added. “He’s a professional, the dressing room will love him, he’ll fit in straight away and he’s a guarantee for Manchester United. But if he’s going to cost £150million and he’s 30, then it’s a short-lived [signing].

“So I think Harry Kane is the type of player who could take you to the title, he is, because he would just connect the whole of the midfield, the top of the pitch, he’ll score goals, the fans will love him, the players will love him and I don’t see how you can go wrong with him.

But the fact of the matter is, for the long term, it wouldn’t be something that worked. He’s got another five years left in his career by the way, so I don’t think there’s a problem with that, it’s just that he is, obviously, in the latter part of his career.”

As United hosts West Ham in the FA Cup on Wednesday, the Brazil international will want to put up another strong performance in midfield.

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Arsenal vs. Manchester United games lost their luster in 2011 when the Gunners arrived at Old Trafford for a Premier League game and were thrashed 8-2.

By that point, Arsenal had dropped out of the elite division of English football. At the same time, they continued to qualify for the Champions League consistently, they had not mounted a serious title push since 2008 and had not won a trophy since the FA Cup in 2005.

United were still at the peak of its powers then. Only a Didier Drogba goal that should have been flagged offside in 2010 and a late collapse against Everton in 2012 denied them what would have been an unprecedented five English titles in a row. As such, their games against an increasingly uncompetitive Arsenal became decreasingly meaningful.

Then came United’s own demise. Sir Alex Ferguson’s resignation in 2013 cleared the stage for nearly a decade of false dawns of new eras, wasteful spending, and underperformance.

Erik ten Hag’s arrival in 2022 was the first time identity and mental toughness were restored. Mikel Arteta, of course, has had a similar impact at Arsenal over a little longer period of time.

But in the intervening years, people cared less and less about Arsenal and Manchester United as a fixture. Not when Manchester City and Liverpool were starting to set new standards in the Premier League and Chelsea continued to be there or thereabouts most of the time.

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In the 1990s and early 2000s, the Premier League game was the one that everyone sought on the schedule. Both would invariably be contending for the title, and each meeting would have a significant impact on how a given season played out.

Furthermore, many of the best matches in the Premier League and/or the most memorable moments occurred when Arsenal and Manchester United competed because of the stakes involved when they joined forces.

The five-goal thriller played this past Sunday at the Emirates Stadium served as a much-needed reminder to the rest of football of what Arsenal vs. Manchester United matches should be about.

To begin with, it had value within the wider context of the season. The league leaders, who are also the favourites to win the title, were facing a quickly developing team that had been defeated just once since the beginning of October in all competitions.

The players on the pitch didn’t disappoint either. Both vibrant teams wanted to win the game and win it in the right way. They each attacked and it swung back and forth to keep both sets of fans and neutrals on the edge of their seats.

Marcus Rashford gave United the lead, but Eddie Nketiah and Bukayo Saka gave Arsenal the lead back with two of their own. Big players put on big performances. Lisandro Martinez’s goal for the Red Devils brought them to a point of parity, but Nketiah’s second goal for the Gunners at the very end of the game gave them the victory and brought them one step closer to the title.

It was about time that the games between them brought some of the old spice back, and long may it continue given the trips both teams had been on.

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