Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag admitted that his team isn’t fully prepared for their Premier League opener against Fulham on Friday night. Despite this, Ten Hag recognizes that the season has started, and his squad must tackle the challenge head-on.
Erik ten Hag confirmed that he will include new signings Matthijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui in the squad for the match at Old Trafford. However, Joshua Zirkzee and teenage defender Leny Yoro will miss the game. Additionally, Ten Hag is overseeing the fitness of players who returned from international commitments at different times over the summer.
“It’s true that we didn’t have a pre-season where we could work on the team for five or six weeks,” Ten Hag said. “It’s very complicated. We had the USA tour squad. Then, we added players who participated in the Euros and Copa America. Now, we have new signings. We need to assemble a team from all these pieces.”
The manager acknowledged that the team isn’t ready yet. However, he emphasized the need to address the situation as the league starts. “The team isn’t ready, but the league starts—and other managers are dealing with similar problems,” Ten Hag added. “We definitely have this issue, but we have some rules and principles. We must get started.”
Ten Hag also noted that while issues exist, the focus should be on the available players. “It’s about the players who are available. We have a good group, and we can make a strong selection,” he said. “We will field a strong team.”
Regarding the readiness of De Ligt and Mazraoui, as well as Harry Maguire’s fitness after a knock in the Community Shield, Ten Hag confirmed that he will include them in the squad. Rasmus Hojlund and Yoro remain sidelined due to injuries. Luke Shaw and Tyrell Malacia also remain unavailable. We expect Shaw to return after September’s international break.
“We are looking forward to Luke Shaw’s return,” Ten Hag said. “He is massively important to our team. We want him back as soon as possible, but we can’t force this process.”
