Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has provided an injury update following the team’s 2-1 defeat to Arsenal in a friendly match at the SoFi Stadium in California.
The Red Devils got off to a flying start when Rasmus Hojlund scored in the 10th minute, but their joy was short-lived as he had to be substituted shortly after due to a worrisome leg injury.
The young striker exited the pitch and headed straight down the tunnel, raising concerns about his fitness. Despite his early exit, Hojlund made a brief appearance during the lap of honor to thank the fans after the game ended.
Leny Yoro, who impressed on his Red Devils debut against Rangers last week, was also substituted off in the first half with a potential muscle issue. He was spotted hobbling after his substitution in the 36th minute. Ten Hag’s side will hope the injury is not too serious as the club is expecting a significant impact from the £52 million signing from Lille in this upcoming season.
When asked about the injuries to Hojlund and Leny Yoro in his post-match press conference, Ten Hag said: “It’s too short, we have to wait over 24 hours then hopefully we will know more. We were very careful, especially with Leny. He did only 50 per cent of the sessions and that is very disappointing that he came off, but let’s be positive and see what is coming out.”
Despite the loss, Ten Hag found positives in United’s performance, noting that it was a strong showing for the third week of preseason, with both teams putting on an impressive display.
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The Dutch manager was particularly pleased with his team’s first-half display, where they outperformed their opponents. United’s opening goal, scored by Hojlund following a well-weighted pass from Marcus Rashford, was a highlight for Ten Hag.
The Dutchman said: “I think [the game] was a very good level for the third week of pre-season, from both sides, but in the first half I thought we were the better team.
“We scored a very good goal, a very good ball in behind from [Marcus] Rashford and then [Rasmus] Hojlund with a very good move and a finish, I was very pleased.
“We also created some more good chances and we then conceded the goal which was offside.
“It is a short slot and we are there [in San Diego] quickly, so we have to prepare the team, we must be ready and of course we have to recover from this and then go again [on Thursday].”
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