Manchester United are preparing for their game against Liverpool in the backdrop of squad uncertainties due to the deadline day.
However, the league doesn’t stop and with the marquee game of English football coming, they need to be at their very best to get a result.
Unfortunately, they have already been struck by multiple injuries, with Mason Mount’s injury being the latest one.
Ahead of the game, Erik ten Hag gave an update on another player who is arguably being missed the most as United fluff chance after chance- Rasmus Hojlund.
Erik ten Hag’s Rasmus Hojlund injury update
Rasmus Hojlund’s 2024/25 season started in a blaze of glory and ended nearly as soon as it took off in that fateful pre-season game against Arsenal.
He scored within 10 minutes, another glimpse of his tantalising potential, before pulling up and getting subbed off in the next five minutes.
He has been MIA since then and ahead of the Liverpool game, Ten Hag spoke to the press and gave a timeframe for his return.
He said: “After the international break but when after the break? We will see how it develops during the break to get him match fit. It will take a while before he is up. He has to build some fitness.”
The team is being extremely careful with Hojlund’s return even though he has recently stepped up his recovery.
After the game vs Liverpool, there is an international break. Hojlund hasn’t been called up to the Denmark squad so he will have two weeks to get ready.
Assessing the situation
Manchester United’s next game will be away to Southampton on September 14, a game which Hojlund might be targeting for at least a few minutes.
The match calendar is about to get intense as Carabao Cup and Europa League get underway so there will be ample opportunities for the club to ease him back from the bench.
Joshua Zirkzee has started well at Old Trafford and Ten Hag recently said he expects Jadon Sancho to stay as well.
That means United will have plenty of options in attack where they can afford to build Hojlund back up to optimum levels.
The real challenge comes then to maintain those levels because United fans haven’t been able to see him in the team consistently as one injury or another always halts his momentum.
A fit and firing Hojlund is crucial to United’s success in four competitions.
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