Erik ten Hag has revealed he wanted to bring in another striker in the January transfer window but was unable to do so.
Manchester United have been hit hard by injuries all season and the latest spate of casualties has the squad looking vulnerable.
Erik ten Hag will be without Luke Shaw for most of the remaining games with a thigh injury while Rasmus Hojlund has now been sidelined for a couple of weeks with a knock.
The pair join long-term absentees Lisandro Martinez, Mason Mount, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Anthony Martial and Tyrell Malacia on the sidelines.
The manager has limited options across the pitch and now doesn’t have a striker available.
Marcus Rashford can play up front but has been enjoying good form on the left flank, potentially leading to 19-year-old Omari Forson starting against Fulham on Saturday.
Ten Hag has now revealed he did want to bring in extra reinforcements up-front in January but was unable to do so.
Erik ten Hag explains why Manchester United didn’t sign a striker
Speaking in his pre-match press conference, Ten Hag said: “When I got the news about Anthony Martial, start of January, I really tried to get another striker in because we are vulnerable there.
“But FFP was the thing. We couldn’t do it.
“We worked out other options how to fill this in and how to deal in the moment Rasmus Hojlund wouldn’t be available. We have options in our squad to fill it in.”
How will United cope without Rasmus Hojlund
It’s not the end of the world United didn’t bring a striker in in January.
Even if there was room to do so, it likely would have been a player in the Odion Ighalo mould anyway.
In that scenario, the drop-off in quality with Hojlund unavailable would be exactly the same so it hasn’t made much difference.
It’s a shame for the Dane that he has been sidelined at the worst possible time, just as his momentum was really starting to build and he’d scored in six successive games.
But, on the plus side, United at least have a settled attacking line-up with Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho on the flanks.
If they are left in their positions and a make-shift option comes in to lead the line, the injury doesn’t have to be as disruptive to the side.
Plus, no striker signed in January, there is now the exciting prospect of promising youngster Forson getting a chance.
With his eight goals this season already, Scott McTominay has shown he has the credentials to lead the line as well potentially.
It’s an unfortunate injury for Hojlund but it doesn’t have to be devastating to the team.
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