Erik ten Hag has good news about five Manchester United players with Rasmus Hojlund, Harry Maguire and Aaron Wan-Bissaka available for Sunday’s FA Cup quarter-final clash with Liverpool.
As far as injuries and illness is concerned, the Red Devils boss has more bad weeks than ‘good’ ones this season.
But even the knocks picked up by Jonny Evans and Altay Bayindir is not wiping the smile off Erik ten Hag’s face, the Manchester United manager confirming that three key players could make their returns against Liverpool while £55 million summer signing Mason Mount is also now heading in the right direction again.
That quarter-final clash between the two North West rivals will come too soon for Mount. But there should be a place in the squad, at least, for Maguire, Wan-Bissaka and United’s 13-goal top scorer Rasmus Hojlund.
Rasmus Hojlund headlines Manchester United injury boost
“We had a good week,” Ten Hag tells the Manchester Evening News. “The players you mention (Hojlund, Maguire and Wan-Bissaka) returned on the pitch, partly at the start of the week and today they had a session and are all training.
“I think (they will be fit to take on Liverpool). Tomorrow, we have one session. We have to see how they recover from this. But it looks good.”
Veteran shot-stopper Tom Heaton is likely to take Bayindir’s place on the bench. Mount, meanwhile, should make his first appearance of 2024 after March’s international break, with the trip to Brentford in a fortnight’s time also a comeback target for star centre-half Lisandro Martinez.
“Tom Heaton is back as well, also very good. Mason Mount trained all week with us,” Ten Hag adds. “(Mount) had some full sessions with us.
“So it’s looking good.”
United face Liverpool in FA Cup quarter-final
Hojlund’s return, in particular, cannot come soon enough. The deadly Dane was in the best form of his career before being ruled out for four games, including those defeats to Fulham and Manchester City.
Ten Hag may also have the option to field Diogo Dalot rather than Victor Lindelof at left-back thanks to Wan-Bissaka’s own availability on the right.
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