Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag needs all of his players available, as last night’s injuries showed.
It turns out last night’s Champions League match was a huge waste of time for Manchester United, a costly night.
Copenhagen’s win over Galatasaray meant even a Manchester United win would not have been enough to qualify. Erik ten Hag’s side paid for their sins of earlier matches, losing four of the total six group games.
The worst part was the double injury suffered by Harry Maguire and Luke Shaw, which could leave them sidelined for a few weeks. At minimum they could be set to miss the game with Liverpool this weekend.
Manchester United need every player available v Liverpool
Manchester United’s match with Liverpool this weekend is absolutely crucial to this Football Club, and the supporters.
Last season the game at Anfield was the scene of Manchester United’s biggest humiliation of all time, a 7-0 away loss at our bitter rivals.
We still aren’t over it, nor is any supporter. Erik ten Hag‘s side haven’t looked the same since, either.
This weekend’s match will be tricky enough, with Liverpool currently top of the league. Add in Manchester United’s poor form, now two consecutive home losses without scoring, and the latest double defensive injury blow, and it is a toxic mix, on top of the scars of last season’s defeat.
Bruno Fernandes suspension looks totally foolish
The defensive injuries leave United short for the game. There is cover, but the absence of the England international pair is far from ideal.
But injuries are unavoidable. Stupid suspensions for dissent, are avoidable.
This is where manager Erik ten Hag should be absolutely fuming with Bruno Fernandes, who picked up a suspension when he was yellow carded in the 84th minute of the defeat to Bournemouth.
It was his fifth booking of the season, and he knew the risk. Fernandes got carried away in the heat of the moment by the team’s 3-0 weekend loss, and argued with the referee to the point he talked himself into the book.
Manchester United are now without the team captain for what is the biggest game of the season. This was the fixture we both dreaded, and looked forward to, to make up the horrific result last campaign.
And now Fernandes is not available. Maguire and Shaw’s absences through injury really highlight Fernandes’ stupidity.
Both Maguire and Shaw were named by Rio Ferdinand as players who could step up as captain with Fernandes out.
Now, who is there? Raphael Varane perhaps? A player Ten Hag had not started for six weeks until last night.
What kind of desperate message will that send?
We did note that Fernandes’ suspension may help Ten Hag, to select a more balanced midfield, rather than sticking him in an attacking role along with Scott McTominay. And that point stands.
It may work to United’s advantage, but this was before Shaw and Maguire suffered injuries and left United further short of senior players.
Ten Hag should be angry with his captain for not being available, and frankly Fernandes should be angry with himself.
The Portuguese was heavily criticised after last season’s defeat, and there was only one way to put that right, to go to Anfield and turn it on with a big performance. Now he will have to watch from home, while his teammates and manager attempt to cope in his absence.
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