Teden Mengi explains what Erik ten Hag’s training sessions have been like

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Manchester United youngster Teden Mengi has a chance to steer his career back on track this week.

It is almost a year to the day since the 20-year-old’s last appearance for Manchester United, as a substitute against Young Boys.

A loan to Birmingham City followed in January, which was cut short by injury. Fitness issues kept him out of pre-season too, before he made his return for the under-21s shortly before the break.

Now the young centre-back is away with the United squad in Spain for the mid-season break due to the World Cup.

The absences of Harry Maguire, Lisandro Martinez and Raphael Varane due to the World Cup, plus Axel Tuanzebe and Phil Jones through injury, mean Teden Mengi could be in line to start United’s friendly against Cadiz alongside Victor Lindelof.

Mengi gives insight into Ten Hag’s training sessions

Mengi is enjoying being back on the training pitch and spoke to the club cameras about what the sessions have been like under Erik ten Hag.

The defender explained Ten Hag has been focused on two specific areas – tactics and fitness.

He said: “It was a good session today, a lot of tactical stuff, for how we want to prepare for the game.

“It’s been a lot about fitness this camp, so especially for me I’ve been injured for quite a while, it’s good to be here, to train hard.”

Mengi’s willingness to train hard will endear him to Ten Hag, and he has a good chance to impress the manager.

It was a couple of years ago that Mengi was being hailed as Manchester United’s next great defender, and there’s no reason to give up on him yet.

Mengi has had two solid Championship loan spells as a teenager, which is not an easy division to play in for a youngster, with the only drawback being that they were cut short by injury twice.

If the centre-back can stay fit, then he has a chance to kick on. This is a good chance for Erik ten Hag to see what Mengi is all about, behind the scenes, and in friendly matches.

While another loan spell is probably in his interests in January, it cannot be ruled out that the manager will decide to keep him around.