The absence of striker Rasmus Hojlund due to injury persists for the Dutchman’s side, leaving Marcus Rashford to potentially fill the void once more as center forward.
Furthermore, the unavailability of centre-back Lisandro Martínez persists, although Mason Mount is on the verge of returning from a calf injury, likely to make his comeback post the upcoming international break.
Manager Ten Hag has provided some hope, indicating that Hojlund, Harry Maguire, and Aaron Wan-Bissaka might make appearances in the FA Cup quarter-final against Liverpool next Sunday.
However, the situation is less promising for left-back Tyrell Malacia, who has yet to make an appearance for United this season due to ongoing injury woes.
The 24-year-old’s recovery process has faced several setbacks, with Ten Hag shedding light on the challenges Malacia has encountered.
“It’s going to be difficult for him this season to be available,” Ten Hag remarked. “He will fight, he’s back on the pitch, but not in the team. The process had some setbacks for him, and he’s still progressing slowly.”
Acknowledging the frustration of dealing with multiple injury setbacks, Ten Hag expressed his disappointment, especially considering the absence of both Malacia and fellow left-back Luke Shaw.
“We talk about one of my biggest frustrations,” Ten Hag explained. “You can accept that a player is unavailable in a position. But when two players are unavailable throughout a season, that is very frustrating.”
Nonetheless, despite the challenges, Ten Hag remains optimistic about managing the situation effectively.