Manchester United’s Champions League journey was left hanging by a thread after a dramatic defeat to Danish league leaders, Copenhagen, last night.

In a game wrapped in controversy, United eventually succumbed to a 4-3 defeat at the Parkden Stadium.

As reported by The Daily Mail, an injury to Jonny Evans also added to Erik ten Hag’s headaches as his defensive injury crisis worsens once more.

Raphael Varane’s return from injury is a timely one with the Frenchman replacing Evans and now looking set for a run in the first team.

United haven’t been able to name a settled back four at any point this season, no doubt playing a huge role in their worrying form.

Evans limped off in the 16th minute of last night’s game with a suspected hamstring injury and faces a period on the sidelines.

Playing in his first Champions League game in a decade, the centre-back pulled up early on after starting his fourth game in six.

Perhaps more worrying for Ten Hag is the amount of hamstring injuries United are suffering this season.

Casemiro has been ruled out until the New Year after pulling up in Carabao Cup defeat to Newcastle last week and Aaron Wan-Bissaka has just returned to the team from a hamstring injury picked up in the early weeks of the season.

With recurring injuries, there may be a tweak in training methods that could lower the risk of the suffering any more, with United’s squad spread thin.

United’s defeat last night has left them bottom of Group A and needing maximum points in their final two fixtures to stand any chance to qualify for the knockout phase.

However, the two games are made up of a trip to Turkey to face Galatasaray before ending the group against tournament favourites, Bayern Munich.

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The injury crisis at Old Trafford has been unprecedented, with at one stage 11 first team regulars all ruled out at the same time.

There was a ray of sunshine that things were starting to get better this week when Aaron Wan-Bissaka returned from injury early, playing 45 minutes of United’s ill-fated Carabao Cup clash with Newcastle United.

However, just as he was trotting onto the pitch in the half-time interval, another player, Casemiro, was limping off it, maintaining the number of players on the injury roster exactly as it was before.

The Brazilian had himself just returned from an injury sustained while on duty for his national side which was a minor niggle.

However, after the game, Ten Hag admitted he had had to substitute the midfielder due to another injury and said it would be 24 hours before the extent of the damage was known.

According to The Athletic, Casemiro has a hamstring pull.

The outlet reports that “Casemiro is the latest casualty after suffering a hamstring strain against Newcastle on Wednesday that has ruled him out of Saturday’s game away to Fulham.”

If it is a “hammy”, the injury will also almost certainly rule the Brazilian out of next Wednesday’s crucial Champions League tie against FC Copenhagen.

Soccerinteraction.com explains that the mildest form of hamstring pull, a grade one, usually takes between eight and ten days to heal.

Given that the star would then need a couple of days’ training under his belt before returning to action, this puts the following weekend game against Luton Town also in deep doubt.

According to the same source, grade three, the worst hamstring injuries, can take up to three months to heal, which could render Casemiro absent until February.

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Martinez picked up a fracture back in April during United’s home clash against Sevilla in the Europa League.

He returned just in time for the club’s pre-season tour but the injury was aggravated in September’s 3-1 defeat to Arsenal.

The World Cup winner played through the pain barrier in subsequent games against Brighton and Bayern Munich before it became increasingly clear an intervention was the best option.

Martinez had to undergo surgery for the second time to fix his metatarsal injury.

In his absence, United have struggled defensively. Evidence of this was seen during the Red Devils’ most recent game against Newcastle at Old Trafford.

United were dumped out of the Carabao Cup by the Magpies who capitalized on a string of high-profile mistakes at the back to inflict misery on Erik ten Hag’s men.

Courtesy of different injuries to other defenders, including Raphael Varane, Luke Shaw, Tyrell Malacia, Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Sergio Reguilon, Ten Hag has not been able to field a consistent back four all term.

Martinez, who is currently in Argentina was present for a domestic match at his former club Defensa y Justicia on Wednesday.

He spoke to TNT Sports after the final whistle and was questioned about when he is likely to return to action.

The 25-year-old said, “I am in the process of recovery and happy to be here visiting the club.”

“It is the second time that an injury like this has happened to me. So, you have to be patient.”

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After the game, manager Erik ten Hag was grilled over what was going wrong with his team and what he plans to do to remedy the situation.

“This is not good enough by far. I take responsibility for it. It’s my team and we are not performing,” he said.

“I’m a fighter. I know it’s not always going up. We’ve had a lot of setbacks this season so far but you have to deal with it.

“I’m confident I can do it, but at this moment we are in a bad place,” the boss said.

“I take responsibility, but I see it as a challenge. I have to stick together with my players and fight together.”

Asked how he will approach Sunday’s Premier League tie against Fulham at Craven Cottage, the manager said:

“You only get confidence when you get the right results and that’s only possible when you follow the rules, follow the principles and are in the game, in the fight.

“Everyone has to take responsibility, be responsible and cooperate, that’s the key word.”

When asked whether he would make changes to the side for that game, Ten Hag replied:

“We will sleep first, then we will choose the team and the tactics [for the next match vs. Fulham], but above all the mentality.”

There was also yet another piece of bad news tonight as Ten Hag also confirmed that Casemiro was substituted due to an injury and will be unavailable for an undetermined time.

“He was injured just before half time, that’s why we had to take him off,” he explained.

“I can’t give an answer on [how long], we have to wait 24 hours but definitely for Saturday he’s out,” he said.

Things could not be much worse for United at the moment. The injury curse is showing no sign of abating and there has been no luck with refereeing decisions or in any aspect of play. Simply put, whatever can go wrong is going wrong for Ten Hag and his men.

Quotes from mutv and sky.com.

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Amad sustained a knee injury during United’s pre-season clash against Arsenal in the United States.

It was a big blow for the Ivorian, who featured heavily in Erik ten Hag’s team selections during the pre-season tour.

Late last month, Amad took to social media and informed supporters that his comeback was not far away.

United have now given a huge update on the 21-year-old.

In a video posted by the club, Amad is seen running on the grass. He appears to be moving comfortably while undertaking running drills at Carrington.

Good to see you back out there, @AmadDiallo_19 #MUFC

— Manchester United (@ManUtd) October 30, 2023

United confirm via the club’s official website that the forward will not be immediately thrust into competitive action but will be slowly introduced back to ensure the physical setback he picked up is not aggravated.

Amad’s imminent return to the team will come as a massive boost to Erik ten Hag and the Red Devils who are struggling for goals this season.

Between Marcus Rashford, Rasmus Hojlund, Antony, Alejandro Garnacho, Anthony Martial, Jadon Sancho and Facundo Pellistri, United have only managed one goal in the Premier League – a shocking return to say the least.

In particular, United have struggled in the right-wing spot. Antony has been extremely poor this season and with Sancho suspended, Bruno Fernandes has frequently been forced to occupy that position.

It’s unsurprising that the Portuguese, who is naturally a playmaker, has not been able to make an impact from the right.

During United’s 0-3 loss at the hands of Manchester City on Sunday, Fernandes’ display was below-par and attracted heavy criticism from the likes of Gary Neville and Roy Keane, who even suggested the player should be stripped of the captaincy.

Amad could just be the solution Ten Hag needs. Last season while out on loan with Sunderland, he notched an impressive 14 goals and three assists.

With patience in Antony wearing thin among supporters, there is definitely a path for Amad to come in and nail down a regular starting berth.

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Manchester United’s defensive injury crisis has been a major reason behind the stuttering start to Erik ten Hag’s second season in charge at Old Trafford.

The United coach hasn’t been able to field his strongest back-four since the opening rounds of the campaign and performances have suffered as a consequence.

Aaron Wan-Bissaka has been one of those missing for the majority of the season after hobbing off with a hamstring injury in the home defeat to Brighton six weeks ago.

However, the right-back is heading toward a return to the first-team and has been training on the grass at United’s Carrington training complex this week.

As reported by The Daily Mail, Wan-Bissaka is now in the last stages of his rehabilitation and will be itching to get back into action.

With regular starters Luke Shaw and Lisandro Martinez still long-term absentees, Ten Hag has been short on options.

Raphael Varane, Sergio Reguilon, Jonny Evans, Tyrell Malacia and Wan-Bissaka have all spent spells on the sidelines this season so having the former Crystal Palace man back in the fold will please the boss.

With Treble winning Manchester City up next for United, Ten Hag might be tempted to throw the defender into the key game which could define United’s season.

With Diogo Dalot comfortably able to shift to left-back, Wan Bissaka could make his return and provide United with much more solidity.

No doubt the 25-year-old’s defensive attributes far outweigh those of any full-back available to Ten Hag at the moment and in a game in which United are going to have to defend well – his impact could prove vital.

Additionally, some of Wan-Bissaka’s best performances in a red shirt have come in the Derby and he relishes the opportunity to test himself against whoever Guardiola picks on the left side of his attack.

However, the contest might come too soon for Wan-Bissaka. Alternatively, Sergio Reguilon will continue at left-back, with Dalot on the other side.

It’s been an incredible twelve months for Wan-Bissaka as this time last season, he found himself out in the cold at Old Trafford and his future at the club looked bleak.

However, an outstanding second half to the campaign has catapulted the Englishman to become first choice under Ten Hag and become a key cog in the United back four.

United will be desperate to welcome Wan-Bissaka back into a winning team but will need their best performance of the season to overcome City on Sunday afternoon.

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Mainoo was United’s outstanding breakout star of pre-season and was expected to play a vital role in Erik ten Hag’s plans this term.

However, the midfielder’s progress was halted when he sustained an ankle injury during a friendly clash vs. Real Madrid on July 26.

After a period on the sidelines undergoing recovery, Mainoo featured for the Under-19s against F.C. Copenhagen at Leigh Sports Village on Tuesday.

Seemingly unable to complete an entire game just yet, Mainoo only played for 45 minutes. He looked sharp and was superb.

An update on the 18-year-old’s fitness was recently provided and his re-integration into the Ten Hag’s starting XI is said to be “on the horizon.”

The Manchester Evening News reveals that the Red Devils are “looking to slowly build up Kobbie Mainoo’s minutes” to ensure he remains in top condition for the rest of the campaign.

Academy boss Travis Binnion told MUTV about the promising midfield talent, “It’s important that he gets those minutes and he’ll feel a lot more confident after that.”

“I don’t know what’s in store for him over the next few weeks, but he’s going to try to keep building up now and hopefully get in and around that first-team squad and have an impact there.”

Binnion stressed, “Great credit to Kobbie, Willy and Dan, as the sort of senior players today.”

Going by Binnion’s admission, it’s unlikely that Mainoo will be involved against Manchester City at Old Trafford on Sunday.

Instead, more minutes for the player when the U21s face Fulham on Friday evening could be a more realistic proposition.

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Casemiro missed United’s 2-1 win against Sheffield United due to an ankle injury.

He picked up the injury during the international break while playing for his country.

During a presser before the match at Bramall Lane, Ten Hag told reporters that the Brazilian would not feature vs. Paul Heckingbottom’s men, but would likely be back to face Manchester City in the derby on October 29.

It seems that this is certainly the case. The 31-year-old was pictured undertaking drills with the rest of his teammates during a Monday training session at Carrington.

There have been reports that Casemiro regrets his decision to move to United from Real Madrid last summer, but the midfielder looked happy and in good spirits.

A video of him has surfaced on social media, showing the five-time Champions League winner cheerfully joking around with Diogo Dalot.

Just Casemiro and Diogo Dalot having a little dance…#MUFC | #ManUtd pic.twitter.com/ALHNkRx4D4

— Man United News (@ManUtdMEN) October 23, 2023

He will however not be available to Ten Hag for selection against FC Copenhagen.

Casemiro will be serving a suspension for a red card he received during United’s previous Champions League clash vs. Galatasaray.

While he will not play on Tuesday in the must-win affair, that he is training comes as a huge boost to Ten Hag and the team.

Casemiro will be hoping that the international break was just what he needed to re-set and get his season back on track.

The United number 18’s performances have declined sharply and have been a far cry from the kind of displays he put up last season.

While he has scored four goals for the Red Devils this term across all competitions, there is plenty of room for improvement in Casemiro’s game, especially in his primary role in the middle of the park.

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After Casemiro was spotted back in training from the ankle knock he received on international duty, a long-term absentee has returned to training after nearly three months out.

Laurie Whitwell of The Athletic reports that Tyrell Malacia was spotted doing solo work with the ball in training.

Tyrell Malacia doing solo work with the ball, one of his first sessions after knee injury.#MUFC pic.twitter.com/Tol7AsnQjJ

— Laurie Whitwell (@lauriewhitwell) October 23, 2023

It is one of his first sessions on the pitch after recuperating from a knee injury.

The injury hasn’t allowed him to play a single minute this season, pre-season or competitive.

The Dutch fullback would have hoped to kick on this season after an encouraging debut year but those plans have been spoiled.

United were even forced to go for an emergency signing at the left-back position in Sergio Reguilon after Luke Shaw got injured.

In an ideal world, Malacia would have come straight in and put pressure on the English international while he recovered from his issue.

Instead, the crisis was such that Ten Hag lost all three left-backs, and has already resorted to playing five different players in that position this season.

As Malacia is only doing solo work and not back with the team yet, his return to competitive action might be some way off as of now.

In such a scenario, it could be likely that he will make his season debut after the November international break, against Everton on November 26.

Before that break, United play six games, with the last one being on November 11 against Luton Town.

In the meantime, Sergio Reguilon is progressing well from his injury and could make his return against Copenhagen in the UEFA Champions League game tomorrow.

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Mainoo was United’s breakout star of pre-season but received a blow when he picked up an injury during a friendly game vs. Real Madrid.

He returned to training during the October international break. During his presser before the Sheffield United match, Ten Hag told reporters that the Englishman was not fit enough to feature at Bramall Lane, although he was nearing a return to action.

Manchester Evening News have provided an update on Mainoo and indicated that he could be available for selection to face FC Copenhagen.

“Mainoo’s return to the United line-up is on the horizon after the young midfielder featured in training. There had been hope he would feature against the Blades but he was not a member of the squad,” the outlet says.

Another player expected to be included in the starting XI is Sergio Reguilon.

Unlike Mainoo, the Spaniard was a surprise exclusion from the matchday squad that travelled to face Paul Heckingbottom’s men on Saturday.

MEN states on Reguilon, “The issue with the on-loan Tottenham Hotspur defender is not thought to be serious and he should be making a return to the line-up shortly after a good start at Old Trafford.”

Against the Blades, Jonny Evans formed a solid centre-back partnership with Harry Maguire in the absence of Lisandro Martinez and Raphael Varane who was on the bench, seemingly not yet fully fit after a brief period on the sidelines.

There were concerns when Evans – who has started well at United during his second spell – went down and had to be replaced by Varane.

However, it’s understood that he was only substituted as a precaution and it was nothing serious.

The North Ireland international should be good to play in the Champions League this week as United look to get out of their group and proceed to the next round of the competition.

Ten Hag will not be able to count on the services of Casemiro who is still in Brazil recovering from a physical setback sustained during the international break.

In any case, the 31-year-old was suspended after being red-carded against Galatasaray.

Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Tyrell Malacia and Luke Shaw remain long-term absentees.

Wan-Bissaka who suffered a hamstring injury could return in November, with Shaw a little bit further away from making a comeback.

As per MEN, there is a real possibility that Martinez has played his last game of the year, with January 2024 looking like a realistic return period for the World Cup winner.

With respect to Amad Diallo, “The young winger has been posting updates on his social media channels documenting his progress. He has been training which suggests a return may not be far off but a time frame has not been revealed yet.”

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