Erik ten Hag, the manager of the team, has delivered the unfortunate news that two of his key players, Casemiro and Lisandro Martinez, are likely to remain sidelined for the rest of the year due to injuries.
Both the Brazilian midfielder, Casemiro, and the Argentinian defender, Lisandro Martinez, are currently dealing with injuries, and their return to action isn’t expected in the near future.
During a press conference on Tuesday, Ten Hag shared, “Casemiro and Martinez have sustained serious injuries, and I don’t anticipate their return before Christmas. It will be a matter of several weeks.”
Lisandro Martinez had suffered a metatarsal fracture back in April and returned prematurely at the beginning of this season. After just six appearances, he required further surgery to address the injury.
On the other hand, Casemiro, who has had a disrupted season, picked up a hamstring injury during a Carabao Cup match against Newcastle last week.
This news is undoubtedly a significant setback for Ten Hag, who had signed both players in the summer of 2022 and witnessed them evolve into two of the most influential figures in his squad last season.
Despite the gloomy injury updates, there is a more positive development concerning Marcus Rashford. The striker had missed Manchester United’s 1-0 victory over Fulham but is now available for their upcoming Champions League match against FC Copenhagen.
Ten Hag confirmed Rashford’s readiness, stating, “He is 100% ready. Rashy missed one game with a minor knock. Marcus is very committed to Manchester United and has been working hard in training to regain his form.”
Looking ahead to the match, Rasmus Hojlund, Rashford’s striking partner, is returning to the Danish capital, where he played for FC Copenhagen between 2020 and 2022. While Hojlund has found the net three times in the Champions League, he has yet to score in his first eight Premier League appearances.
Ten Hag believes that the entire team needs to improve to provide more opportunities for their attacking players to score goals. He remarked, “As a team, we can be better in possession, create more and better chances that will give our offensive players more opportunities to score goals.”
Regarding Hojlund’s situation, he acknowledged that the young player understands the challenges and is determined to improve. “He wants to score goals and he’s so eager and working very hard in training.”
Another United attacker, Brazilian winger Antony, has struggled to find his form, having not scored or provided an assist this season.
Ten Hag mentioned that Antony’s rhythm was disrupted by a brief absence due to injury but emphasized the need for hard work to regain form.
Ten Hag acknowledged the high expectations from Manchester United fans and the demand for the team to perform at their best.
He understands that there is room for improvement and expressed confidence that the team will play better as they regain their best form.
