Man United suffered 3 serious injuries during the 2024 summer friendly in the US including Leny Yoro, Rasmus Hojlund and Will Fish. Among these, the long-term absence of Yoro and Hojlund is very unfortunate, it could seriously disrupt Erik ten Hag's plans for the early part of the season.
After moving from Bologna, the 42.5 million Euro contract - Joshua Zirkzee did not fly to the US for a friendly match. He arrived at Carrington Center to practice alone and wait for his teammates. In every appearance, the Dutch striker satisfies KPIs well. However, putting all your trust in Zirkzee right from the English Super Cup until Rasmus Hojlund returns is very risky for Ten Hag.
MU ended its summer friendly trip with a 0-3 loss to Liverpool. Before that, they won against Arsenal on penalties and overcame Real Betis. In the match against The Kop, Ten Hag's team created more opportunities and shot more but could not penetrate the opponent's net. In the context that there is no "number 9" to rotate with Zirkzee, Ten Hag has considered letting Sancho or captain Bruno take on this role.
"That's what the coaching staff can do while waiting for Rasmus Hojlund to return.
Joshua Zirkzee has started training but he will need time to adapt to the English football environment and the general way Manchester United plays. Jadon Sancho can play as a key striker. I still know that he likes to play in wide spaces, but when needed for the center position, I believe Sancho is a good choice" - Ten Hag shared.
During the past two seasons at Man United, when there was a lack of personnel for the "number 9" position, Ten Hag used Marcus Rashford many times. However, the English striker showed that he cannot play any position other than left wing striker. Seeing this problem, Ten Hag can add Bruno Fernandes in emergency situations.
"I think Rashford can also play as a key striker because he has tried this role many times in the past. However, I think Rashford will play best when operating on the left wing. With the way he plays dribbling the ball at speed and then cutting inside effectively, Rashford will likely continue to develop his forte.
In some cases, we can use Bruno as a striker, let's wait and see" - Ten Hag shared in the press conference after the match with Liverpool.
On August 16, Manchester United will open the Premier League campaign with a match against Fulham at home. 6 days earlier at Wembley, The Red Devils will have the Manchester Derby in the British Super Cup .
