Erik ten Hag has confirmed that Manchester United are not yet fully prepared for their Premier League opener against Fulham, citing a number of injury concerns within the squad. The Red Devils face a selection headache at left-back, with Luke Shaw sidelined due to a calf injury and Tyrell Malacia still recovering from knee surgery, expected to be out for another two months.
With both first-choice options unavailable, Ten Hag will have to turn to other options for the crucial clash. Noussair Mazraoui could be a potential solution, while Diogo Dalot and Lisandro Martinez filled in during the Community Shield last Saturday. Despite the selection issues, Ten Hag remains confident in fielding a strong starting XI.
"It's not about the players who are not available," he said. "It's about the players who are available, and we have a good group, we can make a strong selection."
Shaw has been absent from the Manchester United squad since February, primarily due to a hamstring injury. He did, however, recover sufficiently to feature for England at Euro 2024. Ten Hag is optimistic about Shaw's imminent return and eager to have him back in the team.
"He will return in the short term," the manager stated. "It doesn't take long. Luke is a very important player for our team, so we want to get him back as soon as possible, but we can't force this process."
With the season kicking off on Saturday, the pressure is on Ten Hag to find solutions to the injury concerns and ensure Manchester United are in peak condition for their opening fixture against Fulham. The absence of key players, however, adds another layer of complexity to the already challenging start to the season.
