Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag could find himself in a positive predicament as he prepares for Sunday’s vital clash with Arsenal, with the Dutchman potentially welcoming back six of his injured stars – just in time to face off against Mikel Arteta’s side.
United will be keen on making a swift recovery following their recent 4-0 stuffing at the hands of Crystal Palace. on Monday night. The pressure is mounting as they seek an upset over Arsenal, who will be searching for a win as the race with Manchester City for the Premier League title hots up.
Arsenal are currently one point above City in the table, but they could find themselves in second place going into the game against United with Pep Guardiola’s side in action in Saturday’s early kick-off against Fulham. If they win that game, it will move them two points above the Gunners.
The return of key figures will undoubtedly be a significant morale boost for Ten Hag, particularly after expressing his concerns about the club’s injury crisis prior to the devastating loss to the Eagles. In discussing the unprecedented injury woes facing his team, Ten Hag admitted prior to the game: “For over 10 years I am managing, I never had this experience.
“So huge, so many injury issues, so I trust all my experience, it can happen once in 10 years. Hopefully now I have to wait another 10 to have so many injuries to deal with.”
Defenders Luke Shaw and Lisandro Martinez have also both returned to the training pitch. Their manager remains hopeful that they’ll join the squad before the season concludes. Given that they’ve been progressing well, they could potentially be included in the squad for the match vs Arsenal
Midfielder Scott McTominay was ruled out of the Selhurst Park clash due to a knee injury. But the Scottish international was set to return to training on Saturday and could be in line for a comeback against Arsenal after narrowly missing out last time.
Meanwhile, Marcus Rashford is still on the mend following an injury sustained during United’s FA Cup semi-final victory over Coventry City. Despite not making it back to training in time for the Palace preparations, given the current injury crisis at the club, Rashford might find himself back in contention sooner than expected.
In more positive news for United, Anthony Martial has already returned to training and could potentially feature before the season concludes. This could mark the Frenchman’s final appearance for the Red Devils, as his contract is due to expire.
