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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Mainoo was undoubtedly United’s breakout star of pre-season before he sustained an unfortunate ankle injury during United’s clash against Real Madrid that has kept him out since late July.

A recent report covered by The Peoples Person revealed that Mainoo played in a behind-closed-door friendly against Barnsley during the international break.

It was relayed that he “looked sharp.”

Ahead of his side’s game vs. Sheffield at Bramall Lane, Ten Hag was asked about Mainoo’s availability. He said, “He [Mainoo] is close. He’s already training with us. Not today, but I think next week he will have some minutes in the team so then he can catch up his game minutes. And so yeah, he’s really improving and ready to get back in the squad for games.”

The United boss gave further injury updates on the likes of Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Shaw.

He explained that Wan-Bissaka is not far from coming back into the team but Shaw is likely to be unavailable in the upcoming “block of games,” – possibly suggesting that the English left-back may not recover before the November international break.

Ten Hag added, “If you can’t use, every time, the same players, you can’t bring in the routines. Some routines slipped away in the last weeks and, yeah, that had a bad effect on the results.”

“I never use it as an excuse. We still have a good squad, we still have to win.”

On Casemiro, the Dutch coach mentioned that the Brazil international suffered a “small injury” while playing for the Selecao, but confirmed it’s nothing serious and the 31-year-old is on track to feature in the next Premier League clash against Manchester City at Old Trafford on October 29.

When put to task about whether he was unhappy Casemiro was selected in Brazil’s starting XI to face Uruguay while there were major doubts about his fitness, Ten Hag remarked, “You can’t be. That is the rule. He’s playing for a nation and he’s playing for us. And we all understand that Casemiro is a soldier and he is available for every game. So he will always give his best, for his nation and for Manchester United.”

Another matter that came to the fore during Ten Hag’s presser was the ongoing partial investment of Sir Jim Ratcliffe into the club.

Ten Hag pointed out that United co-chairman Joel Glazer has so far kept him in the dark about the ongoing process.

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Injuries have not helped the manager, with the defence suffering the most. The Dutchman has never managed to field his first-choice back-four this season due to injury.

One of the areas most badly affected is at left-back with all three players currently sidelined. Tyrell Malacia was the first to suffer an injury, which has seen him miss the entire pre-season and all games so far.

United’s injury problems at LB

Luke Shaw, the first-choice left-back, is yet to play since the Tottenham Hotspur game and these two long-term injuries forced the club to dip into the market towards the closing stages of the summer transfer window.

A lot of candidates were scrutinised, but in the end, it was Spurs star Sergio Reguilon who arrived on deadline day but after a couple of promising displays, he suffered a hamstring injury as well.

He is not expected to be back before the international break, with right-back Diogo Dalot filling in at one point while currently, midfield Sofyan Amrabat has been forced to play there.

The club have suffered because of the Moroccan’s inability to play there, which was meant to happen against the big teams and the manager must be ruing his luck.

Interestingly, Ten Hag had the option of playing academy graduate Alvaro Fernandez in that position but he chose to send him out on loan to Granada, thinking he was not quite ready for the step-up.

Maybe a break clause in his contract would have allowed the Spaniard to return to Old Trafford during such an emergency. But United never included such a clause. The earliest United can recall him is in January.

“The Manchester Evening News revealed at the time that United’s ongoing defensive crisis was not going to alter their plans to loan him out given they were confident of securing a replacement on loan.

Alvaro Fernandez can be recalled, but not more January

“It is also understood United do not have an option to cut Fernandez’s spell in Spain short at this moment of time, though there is a break clause in the deal to recall him in January if required,” The Manchester Evening News reported.

Given Reguilon’s injury record, Ten Hag will either be hoping to see either of Malacia or Shaw regain full fitness and form, or he may be forced to recall the 20-year-old in January when the mid-season break clause becomes active.

Fernandez has enjoyed a decent spell in La Liga so far, featuring in three of the five league matches he has been eligible for since joining.

The 26-year-old Reguilon had missed 29 games for Atletico Madrid last season during his loan there and United should have realised the injury worries associated with Reguilon before signing him.

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The Englishman has been banned from using all first-team facilities at Carrington including dining facilities meaning that the winger will have to eat alongside academy players.

This whole saga started after the manager called out the 23-year-old’s training performances for being below-par which led to his ouster from the matchday squad for the Arsenal game.

If Ten Hag had thought this public statement would fire up Sancho to train harder and prove him wrong, he was sorely mistaken.

Sancho-ETH tiff not going to end well

The former Borussia Dortmund man promptly uploaded a statement on social media without the club’s approval in which he accused the manager of making him a scapegoat.

To make matters worse, the player’s camp accused the Dutchman of offering preferential treatment to Antony which was the main reason behind Sancho’s reduced opportunities.

Ten Hag felt betrayed, especially considering the support he provided during the England international’s difficult period last season, and asked for an unconditional apology.

However, Sancho proceeded to throw all his toys out of the pram and refused to oblige, thus forcing Ten Hag to banish him from the first-team squad.

A January exit seems the most likely option at the moment as the player seems to be showing no signs of remorse towards his actions, as he has been spotted playing EA FC 24 late into the night and regularly coming late to practice.

As per The Daily Mirror, his England colleagues — Marcus Rashford, Luke Shaw, and Harry Maguire have now stepped forward to try and convince the winger to change his stance and apologise to the manager.

England stars trying to change Sancho’s mind

Both Rashford and Maguire know that Ten Hag is a strict disciplinarian and he is unlikely to budge from his stance, especially since the player is at fault in this instance.

“Sancho’s United colleagues, including England trio Marcus Rashford, Harry Maguire and Luke Shaw, have all pleaded with him to swallow his pride and apologise to Ten Hag.

“They have stepped in and told Sancho there will only be one winner in his ongoing battle with Ten Hag and have advised the £73 million star to back down so he can start playing again.

“Jadon’s teammates have been telling him to back down and say sorry to the boss. They want him to apologise. They sympathise with him and the way he feels, but recognise a line was crossed with what he posted.”

Whether this can help end the feud remains to be seen. Fans are disappointed with Sancho for failing to do the bare minimum and kicking up a fuss instead of doing his job for which he is being handsomely paid.

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A report covered by The Peoples Person confirmed that Wan-Bissaka sustained a hamstring injury expected to keep him sidelined for around two months.

The Englishman picked up the injury when he came on from the bench in the late stages of his side’s 3-1 loss against Brighton at Old Trafford on Saturday.

Wan-Bissaka’s injury means that Erik ten Hag only has two fit senior full-backs at his disposal for the near future – Sergio Reguilon and Diogo Dalot.

This is because Tyrell Malacia and Luke Shaw are also nursing injuries of their own.

Shaw picked up a muscle injury before the international break. The nature of Malacia’s injury remains unspecified but just like Shaw, the Netherlands international is set for a prolonged period on the treatment table.

The other defender unavailable due to a physical setback is Raphael Varane.

The Frenchman came off at the interval during United’s 3-2 comeback win vs. Nottingham Forest at Old Trafford.

It was subsequently relayed that the World Cup winner would be out for around six weeks. In games against Arsenal and Brighton, Varane’s absence has certainly been felt considering just how fragile and vulnerable the Red Devils have been at the back.

In midfield, Ten Hag is not able to count on the services of new signing Sofyan Amrabat, nor Kobbie Mainoo or Mason Mount.

Amrabat is trying to shake off a back injury suffered while still contracted to Fiorentina. The Moroccan recently had to withdraw from international duty with the Atlas Lions as a precautionary measure taken so that his injury would not be aggravated further.

Mount had his new life at United curtailed by a hamstring injury.

Mainoo, who was pre-season’s breakout star, got hurt when the Red Devils came up against Real Madrid in the United States.

The Carrington academy graduate seemed destined for a key role under Ten Hag this season but he will have to wait a bit longer to get a chance to make a lasting impression both on his manager and supporters.

In the attacking department, Ten Hag is without Antony, Jadon Sancho and Amad Diallo.

Antony was granted an indefinite leave of absence by the club amidst allegations of assault, causing bodily harm and issuing threats brought against him by different women.

Sancho on the other hand has been involved in a public spat with Ten Hag which culminated in the 23-year-old’s banishment from the first team until he issues an apology for challenging his manager and branding him a liar via a social media post.

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

Tom Heaton is also not available due to a calf injury.

All in all, there are 11 players who are not available either due to injuries or off-the-pitch issues. It’s certainly a lot for Ten Hag, let alone any manager to deal with.

While United’s performances so far this season have been unsatisfactory and below par, the 20-time English champions have not been aided by the number of key stars who are not available.

Ahead of the Bayern Munich match on Wednesday, Donny van de Beek is also not eligible to play. This is because the Dutch midfielder was not officially registered in United’s Champions League squad.

All the injuries certainly warrant questions being asked of the club’s medical and fitness department.

It’s understood that United are set to appoint Arsenal’s current head of medical services Gary O’Driscoll as their new Head of Sports Medicine.

O’Driscoll is renowned and highly respected within his field. In the face of an injury crisis, his expertise is desperately needed.

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The injury was said to be worse than initially feared while matters were exacerbated by the fact that backup full-back Tyrell Malacia is also sidelined till November.

Right-back Diogo Dalot has occupied the position for the last two games but manager Erik ten Hag insisted for a specialist left-sided full-back.

United’s complicated LB search

After links with various players all across Europe, United settled on Sergio Reguilon of Tottenham Hotspur after a deal with Marc Cucurella of Chelsea collapsed.

The Spaniard is yet to play a game and his contract includes a break clause in January which will allow United to send him back to his parent club if both their full-backs recover from their injuries.

During their search for left-backs, United had Brentford’s Rico Henry on the list and had even completed initial checks with the Bees for the 26-year-old.

Now as per Football Insider, United could yet again approach the London side for the full-back next summer and Thomas Frank will not stand in the way of a move as long as their asking price is met.

“Brentford could accept an offer of £35 million-plus for left-back Rico Henry in 2024, sources have told Football Insider. Erik ten Hag’s side weren’t able to afford a permanent move for the defender – but could revisit the situation next year.

Rico Henry’s price revealed

“A well-placed source has told Football Insider that Henry would be interested in a big move in the future – and the Bees are unlikely to stand in his way.”

The Englishman has been on the fringes of the national team set-up but his consistent displays for his club could very well see him rewarded with a national team call-up soon.

Henry has been an ever-present part of Frank’s team, missing only one game throughout the course of last season while he has started all league games this campaign.

While the player has shown impressive growth, United seem to be well-stocked in left-back if and when everyone is fit and other areas are in more urgent need of repairs.

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The international break couldn’t have come at a more opportune time for Manchester United, with the club desperate for some key players to recover amid a growing list of injuries.

Man United’s most injury-ridden position appears to be at left-back, with first-choice Luke Shaw and backup Tyrell Malacia both expected to be sidelined until November.

The most recent update on Shaw claimed that the Englishman may be available after 10 weeks, having suffered a muscle injury during United’s 2-0 defeat to Spurs.

This could result in a potential return date for the fullback of 22 October.

As for Malacia, the knee injury that kept him out of United’s pre-season tour is threatening to keep him out for a few more weeks, although no specific timeline was presented.

The Evening Standard claimed that Malacia would be sidelined at least until the end of the September international break, with Premier Injuries has him returning to action on 30 September.

Centre-back Lisandro Martinez was withdrawn 67 minutes into United’s match against Arsenal on Saturday after he experienced pain in his right foot.

Despite being cleared as match fit by the Argentinian national team, Martinez is not guaranteed to return to the United lineup when the Red Devils face Brighton on 16 September, however this remains a possibility.

The last time that manager Erik ten Hag commented on Martinez’s injury, he stated: “Licha [Martinez] said he had a problem on his foot. But I’m not sure if it’s an injury. We have to wait, we have to see, we have to make the diagnosis.”

Raphael Varane is also expected to remain sidelined for a few weeks after he came off during United’s win against Nottingham Forest.

The nature of his injury remains undisclosed, with some reports claiming that he could be sidelined for a total of six weeks, with the French defender potentially returning to the field on 23 September.

New arrival Mason Mount is another victim of an undisclosed injury, with initial assessments indicating that he would miss United’s games against Nottingham Forest, keeping him sidelined until at least after the international break.

According to Premier Injuries, no further updates have since been given on Mount’s injury status, however, he may be declared match fit by 30 September.

Victor Lindelöf is another player being monitored after he was taken off late in the second half of United’s loss to Arsenal.

“Victor was ill, so he had to come off,” Ten Hag explained, with the player still under assessment.

The Swede is expected to be fit when United face Brighton on 16 September.

Midfielder Scott McTominay was unavailable for the Arsenal game due to suffering a fever, however, it is believed that he remains likely to play for Scotland during the international break.

Out with an ankle/foot injury since United’s pre-season match against Real Madrid in July, rising star Kobbie Mainoo is reportedly recovering well and could be back in two months, Ten Hag explained in August, meaning that the midfielder could return around 22 October.

Amad Diallo, on the other hand, may be in for a long and grueling recovery from his knee injury, with no return date in sight for the 21 year old.

Given United’s extensive list of injury concerns, new arrivals such as left-back Sergio Reguilón, holding midfielder Sofyan Amrabat, and veteran defender Jonny Evans may play an important role in filling the gaps during this trying time.

Here is a rundown of the return dates for United’s injured stars:

Brighton, 16 September:

Victor Lindelöf
Lisandro Martinez
Scott McTominay

Burnley, 23 September:

Raphael Varane

Crystal Palace, 30 September:

Tyrell Malacia
Mason Mount

Sheffield United, 22 October:

Kobbie Mainoo
Luke Shaw

No return date:

Amad Diallo
Tom Heaton

Source: premierinjuries.com

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13 days to make the necessary adjustments to remedy a poor start. 13 days to implement tactical changes which will improve the team’s performance. 13 days to regain and rally the spirit which was carefully cultivated last season.

13 days to fix United’s season essentially.

Over the next 13 days, The Peoples Person will be looking at 13 areas United can look to improve upon before their next Premier League fixture. An article a day until Erik ten Hag’s issues have drifted away.

Our first port of call will be United’s Brazilian behemoth who has looked worringly long in the tooth over the last four games – Casemiro.

United’s Midfield Maesto

Signed from Real Madrid towards the tail end of last summer’s transfer window, Casemiro took a little while to adapt to life in Manchester. He didn’t make his debut in the league until a full fifty days after his deal had been agreed – a 2-1 win away to Everton. 

And while his introduction may have been slow, Casemiro wasted no time in firmly establishing himself as an integral part of the team for the remainder of the season.

Paired with Christian Eriksen in a double pivot, United’s midfield was transformed from the previous year.

Casemiro was a force of nature at times, displaying a proficiency with the ball previously untapped in the star-studded Real Madrid team. In Spain, Casemiro was not required to contribute significantly on the ball. In England, he quickly demonstrated this was most likely a waste of his prodigious talents.

While providing the steel and solidity to United’s midfield with which he was most commonly associated – he ranked in the 99th percentiles for blocks, clearances and succcessful aerial duels, while clocking in at the 96th for tackles – Casemiro also returned seven goals and seven assists last season.

He was United’s fifth top goal scorer, scoring the opening goal against Newcastle in the Carabao Cup Final and producing a pivotal finish in the 1-0 win over Bournemouth in the final weeks of the season. Three points which were crucial in United securing Champions League qualification.

When Casemiro was unavailable – as he was through two long-term suspensions – the effect on United was tangible. It felt like they were operating with ten men at times during the Brazilian’s absence.

Overall, it was an undoubted masterclass in midfield from Manchester United’s maestro last year.

Which is what has made Casemiro’s performances this season such a concern.

From Maestro to Mediocrity

The midfielder looked every bit his 31 years of age in the opening fixture against Wolves. Gary O’Neil’s side were able to carve through United’s midfield with ease and created a wealth of opportunities as a result. Wolves’ twenty-three shots on target constituted the most by an away side at Old Trafford since 2005.

United were, ultimately, able to win the game 1-0, but it was a very lucky escape. Casemiro painted a lonely picture at the base of the midfield, with Bruno Fernandes and Mason Mount operating high up the pitch.

United’s midfield unit was anything but in this game.

It was a comparable story a week later against Tottenham Hotspur. Though United demonstrated improvements in the first-half, and created a number of opportunities to score, they ran out of the steam in the second.

Tottenham would capitalise upon this and ran out two-nil winners, with Ten Hag’s side never looking like they had a hope of getting back into the game once they were behind. Casemiro was once again poor; defensively ineffective and offensively irrelevant.

In the opening four minutes of the next match – Nottingham Forest at home – it appeared United had regressed even further. Forest were two-nil up in the blink of an eye and United’s season appeared on the verge of collapse. To lose away to Spurs is worrying; to be two goals down to Forest at home is terminal.

United were able to endure this rough start, however, and recovered well.

A smart finish by Eriksen got his team back in the game, before Casemiro popped up with a well-taken finish from a smartly-worked free kick sequence to level things. A clinical penalty by Bruno Fernandes would seal the win and mark a hard-fought 3-2 comeback win for United. 

It was a more promising display by Casemiro but he still displayed many of the same defensive and mobility issues which plagued the first two games. These problems persisted in this weekend’s defeat against Arsenal.

United ultimately lost 3-1 yesterday, but it was a spirited performance by Ten Hag’s side, who were missing several key members of the first-team. United could even have won had Alejandro Garnacho been 0.00004cm further back when running through on Arsenal’s goal in the final minutes of the game.

Casemiro looked slow in the face of Arsenal’s array of attacking talent but was able to hold his own. Just about. He was also able to play forward effectively at times, though often gave the ball away under pressure.

The Brazilian’s leadership and experience were undoubted sources of strength for his teammates, however.

Where Can Improvements Be Made?

Taking United’s opening four fixtures as a collective, it’s been an underwhelming start to the year for Casemiro.

Real Madrid fans have indicated the Brazilian is known to start seasons slowly, as he did for United in 2022.

Perhaps the only remedy required for Casemiro to improve is time. This feels like wishful thinking however.

Ten Hag has attempted to implement a different midfield structure this season.

The double pivot of Casemiro and Eriksen has been replaced by a 4-3-3 system, with Mount and Fernandes operating as advanced attacking midfielders. This has left Casemiro as the sole defensive pivot; a taxing role on a player’s legs, as well as one which requires excellent ball progression abilities.

At 31, it feels unreasonable to expect Casemiro to consistently cover the ground required to enable his midfield partners to push high up the pitch. The role of a deep-lying playmaker is also not one he has ever played, despite the promising signs last season.

Both of these factors are the ones underpinning Casemiro’s poor start to the season; not a lack of match-fitness. It is a structural issue more than a personnel one.

Ten Hag must utilise the next two weeks to make the necessary adjustments to improve the situation for his premier midfielder. As last season demonstrated, if Casemiro’s form improves so to will United’s.

The simplest option is Sofyan Amrabat. 

The Moroccan international was signed from Fiorentina on the final day of the season and is a natural defensive midfielder. He offers both the legs off the ball, and abilities from deep on it, United have been lacking in their opening games.

With Mount set to be ruled out with injury for the next few weeks, Amrabat could be deployed next to Casemiro to provide immediate stability to United’s midfield. The match at the Emirates would have unfolded very differently with this double pivot on the pitch.

Long-term this choice is less simple however.

United, under the direct influence of Ten Hag, have gone all in on Mount.

He was signed from rivals Chelsea in a deal worth £60 million, despite only having a year left on his deal. He’s been given the coveted number seven shirt and is one of the club’s top earners.

It is not a viable solution to drop your star signing in favour of Amrabat, nor is it a sensible choice to play him (or Fernandes) out of position.

Ten Hag’s vision for this season was founded upon a three-man midfield with Casemiro at the base, and Mount and Fernandes further ahead of him. It would be a failure to abandon this plan after a rocky few games. Particularly when considering the quality of the triumvirate involved.

Instead, Ten Hag will have to implement slight tactical tweaks to enhance the idea, rather than moving away from it entirely.

The Inverted Fullback 

The most effective method to buttress a midfield unit is simply to add another player to the equation.

Manchester City and Arsenal have found great success over the past few seasons by instructing one of their defenders to push into midfield when in possession. The existing attacking midfielders are then free to push forward, safe in the knowledge they have adequate midfield cover behind them.

This enables overloads to be created in the opposition’s half while simultaneously providing greater protection against counter-attacks. It’s an elegant solution borrowed from the annals of football’s history.

Arsenal utilise Oleksandr Zinchenko in this inverted midfield role, while City often use John Stones. The most suitable candidate in the United squad is Luke Shaw; a technically gifted footballer with powerful physical attributes.

Though Shaw is likely to be unavailable until November with injury, deploying him as an inverted left-back next to Casemiro would begin to address United’s porous midfield issues.

It would also allow Ten Hag to continue with his advanced midfield pairing of Mount and Fernandes. A choice seen as key to the Dutchman’s vision of United as the best transitional team in the world. 

Short-Term Fixes VS Long-Term Solutions

There may be two choices required to improve this situation; one for the short-term and another for the long-term.

In the immediacy, with Mount and Shaw both ruled out with injury, Ten Hag must play Amrabat next to Casemiro. It will provide a much sterner test for the opposition’s attack and should enable the Brazilian to regain the excellent form he displayed last season.

In the longer-term, once Mount and Shaw have recovered, United’s manager should continue to work on his ideal three-man midfield unit, but only with the additional support of an inverted defender. This will require refining at the training ground and patience on the pitch, but it’s a tactic worth pursuing given the success it’s engendered for United’s rivals.

The commonality between these two options is a partner for Casemiro.

The Brazilian cannot be expected to be a one-man army. Instead, he must be treated as the Sheriff of Manchester. And every Sheriff needs a Deputy.

CONCLUSION – Sofyan Amrabat in the short-term, Luke Shaw in the long-term.

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The effort was there, so was the performance and the club could very well have nicked all three points and the end result was somewhat undeserved but it highlighted how years of under-investment and wrong recruitment have harmed the club.

Manager Erik ten Hag cannot dwell too much on the result as bigger tests are coming up. He will start praying about his players and hoping a few can emerge unscathed from the upcoming international break.

The injuries are certainly totting up at Old Trafford with new signing Mason Mount ruled out till the end of the international fixtures while academy breakthrough star Kobbie Mainoo is still to recover from his pre-season injury.

The likes of Amad Diallo, Tom Heaton and Scott McTominay are also sidelined at the moment but it is in defence where things are looking dicey at the moment.

United’s mounting injury concerns

Currently, the manager’s preferred centre-back pairing of Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez are both injured with the Argentine hobbling off on Sunday.

To make matters worse, Victor Lindelof had to be replaced towards the end of the game in North London with Harry Maguire and Jonny Evans marshaling the back at the end of the game.

United have a hectic September coming up, with a Premier League encounter against the talented Brighton next before their first Champions League tie of the Ten Hag era against Bayern Munich.

The Red Devils will also kickstart their Carabao Cup defence against Crystal Palace this month while league games against the Eagles and Burnley are also to be played.

Considering the attacking threats the team will need to deal with after the next week, it is safe to say fans are worried for the team and the manager.

Varane has already been ruled out but the manager will be hoping he can at least get the Swede and Argentine back in the mix for those huge games coming up.

Ten Hag did reveal Lindelof was simply an illness but the player was spotted limping post-game so doubts still persist. Martinez’s injury situation will be clear tomorrow after scans and fans will be waiting with bated breath for the results.

Not to forget that the Dutch boss is already having to operate without Luke Shaw at left-back while his deputy, Tyrell Malacia is also sidelined.

Diogo Dalot has been entrusted with the role for now but there are question marks whether he can cut it in Europe while loan recruit Sergio Reguilon does not fill one with too much hope.

Fitness not up to the mark, who is to blame?

Question marks need to raised about United’s pre-season, whether the travelling and workload, especially after the hectic season they had, was a hindrance or not?

United played the most minutes of any team in Europe last campaign and on top of that, played so many games across so many different time zones this pre-season with Christian Eriksen also complaining at one point.

Ten Hag was also not much of a believer in team rotation last season and that might be catching up as well. The team have certainly looked off the pace right from their opener against Wolverhampton Wanderers.

The number of first half injuries and those away from the pitch altogether are adding to the feeling that the physical conditioning required to play the manager’s intense way might not be there at the moment.

Let us not forget that the players were outrun by Tottenham Hotspur in their second game while the likes of Casemiro have looked visibly tired in each game, almost unable to cope with the intensity.

One consolation for the manager will be the fact that hopefully, midfield general Sofyan Amrabat can return from his national team duties fully match-fit and ready to influence games.

United’s midfield sorely lacks control at the moment and the Moroccan will be the perfect player to have alongside Casemiro, especially away from home in Germany.

Three huge games coming up and Ten Hag could be about to find out whether his team are pretenders or can muster up a genuine fightback to become contenders.

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The club shifted its focus from recruiting a midfielder to scrambling to try and bring in an experienced left-back with backup fullback Tyrell Malacia also sidelined till November.

Manager Erik ten Hag was forced to start Diogo Dalot in their previous Premier League game against Nottingham Forest but the manager knows a specialist will be required considering the challenges coming up.

United’s LB chase

Academy graduate Alvaro Fernandez was deemed to be not quite ready yet and was sent out on loan to La Liga side Granada.

United were linked with a host of left-backs like free agent Ryan Bertrand, Chelsea’s Marc Cucurella, Marcos Alonso of Barcelona and Brentford star Rico Henry just to name a few.

United had also attempted to prise away Ivan Perisic from Spurs, but he ended up rejecting the move while Villarreal refused to allow Alfonso Pedraza’s exit on a loan deal.

In the end, after issues with the loan fee and break clause, Cucurella’s chance to come to Manchester broke down, and in came Sergio Reguilon from Tottenham.

But as per The Mail’s Transfer Deadline live stream, United also had a Newcastle United player in sight but the Magpies were in no mood to relent.

Journalist Craig Hope said, “You mention that and I was speaking to agents and one name being thrown around in regards to Man United was Matt Targett.

Targett move failed

“They were bringing together a list of left-backs available out there and Targett is down the pecking order, but he won’t be allowed to go this window we understand,” Hope said.

The 27-year-old is effectively the fourth-choice left-back at Newcastle at the moment with the likes of Dan Burn, Lewis Hall and new signing Tino Livramento all ahead of him in the pecking order.

It would have made sense for the player to try and get some regular minutes elsewhere but Newcastle were in no mood to strengthen a direct rival and hence the move never panned out.

United ended up signing Reguilon from Spurs, who has already begun training and has been registered to be available for the game against Arsenal on Sunday.

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