Two new injuries confirmed from Man Utd’s traveling squad for Fenerbahce, Erik ten Hag’s squad depth decimated

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Erik ten Hag and Manchester United need to start a winning run after three points vs Brentford but the fate is not going their way with recent developments.

The hope was that they would build on an encouraging second-half display vs Brentford and take that momentum into a tricky game vs Fenerbahce.

Instead, what they have received is a series of injury updates that is set to leave Erik ten Hag out of options for a position when he picks his team to go up against Jose Mourinho’s Fenerbahce.

The fullback position is slowly gaining strength as Luke Shaw’s latest injury update was positive, while Tyrell Malacia should return soon.

However, that injury bug has apparently been transferred to midfield, where two injuries have decimated the Man Utd squad depth in that position.

Only three midfielders in Man Utd’s traveling squad

Ahead of the Brentford game, Ten Hag’s worries were smoothened as Manuel Ugarte shook off the knock he sustained while playing for Uruguay.

Further good news arrived before the Fenerbahce game when Casemiro trained with the team despite going off vs Brentford due to an issue.

However, two new injuries mean that Ten Hag has only three fit midfielders in the traveling squad for the game in Turkey.

Christian Eriksen joined Ugarte and Casemiro as the three midfielders deemed fit enough to travel, with new injuries to Dan Gore and Toby Collyer worsening Ten Hag’s headache.

When Jack Fletcher made the bench vs Brentford ahead of his senior counterparts, it was thought of as a mark of trust in the 17-year-old midfielder.

However, it is clear now that both Collyer and Gore are injured, the extent of which is not clear and Ten Hag hasn’t been asked about it yet.

One’s case is particularly unfortunate, as Dan Gore was on his comeback trail after shaking off a serious issue that wasted his last season.

Collyer, too, was regularly making the bench or playing odd minutes here and there so both were genuine options to appear in this game in light of Mason Mount, Kobbie Mainoo, and Bruno Fernandes’ absence.

How will Man Utd line up in midfield?

With so many absences hitting the same position at the same time, Ten Hag might have no choice but to play all his three fit midfielders together.

Eriksen can play in the Fernandes role of a creator from the No 10 position, with Casemiro and Ugarte as the two screeners in front of the defence.

However, if Ten Hag wants to keep a semblance of depth in midfield, he will have to get a bit creative and he has the options to do so.

A potential Joshua Zirkzee-Rasmus Hojlund partnership has been talked about for a long time and this might be the perfect circumstance to test it out with Zirkzee as the No. 10.

There’s also the option of deploying Amad as the No. 10 as his game suits playing in small spaces and his combination play is top-notch.

However, that would sacrifice their wing depth, especially as West Ham United await in less than two days and both Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho played vs Brentford too.

Matching the tactical demands with the physical loads of the players is a situation Ten Hag would have thought he left behind last season.

However, with two new injuries, it is right back and at the worst possible time too.