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Erik ten Hag has claimed that his Manchester United squad is not ready for the start of the new Premier League season owing to fitness issues. The Red Devils have spent a combined €164.5 million to sign Leny Yoro, Joshua Zirkzee, Matthijs de Ligt, and Noussair Mazraoui this summer.
However, Yoro and Rasmus Hojlund are out with long-term injuries. Luke Shaw, Victor Lindelof, and Tyrell Malacia are also believed to be ruled out for the season-opener against Fulham on Friday (August 16).
Moreover, the likes of Kobbie Mainoo, Scott McTominay, and Bruno Fernandes come into the season on the back of representing their nations at the 2024 UEFA Euros. Speaking about the opening game of the campaign against the Cottagers, Ten Hag said at his press conference (via beIN Sports):
"It's true [new players need time], it's not the pre-season where in five to six weeks you work on a team, it's very complicated. The USA tour squad, and then we added the players at Euros and Copa America and now new signings, and we have to make a team from it. That team is not ready, but the league starts, and more managers have this problem."
Manchester United also had a busy time in pre-season, where they played five matches in the space of three weeks. They also come into this game on the back of an FA Community Shield loss against Manchester City (1-1 FT, 7-6 on pens) on August 10.
Erik ten Hag says Manchester United will go for trophies this season
Erik ten Hag seems to be in no doubt about where Manchester United's priorities lie this season. The team, especially under Sir Alex Ferguson's tutelage, went into every season as one of the favorites for the biggest trophies in England and Europe.
That, however, has changed after the Scotsman's retirement in 2013. With no league title in over 11 years and no Champions League success since the 2007-08 season, the Red Devils are struggling to remain among the elite in the continent – at least as far as silverware is concerned.
Ten Hag, however, has stated that his team will go for trophies in the upcoming campaign. He continued, via the aforementioned source:
"We know our targets; we know our direction. "[Our expectations are] always very high, we want to go for trophies."
The Red Devils finished eighth last season but will play in the UEFA Europa League owing to their triumph in the FA Cup. That trophy, alongside the Carabao Cup title in the 2022-23 season, is the only piece of silverware they have won in the last seven years.
