Erik ten Hag made a point out of improving Manchester United’s midfield over the summer, with both Casemiro and Christian Eriksen joining the club.
The pair have formed a stellar partnership at the heart of Ten Hag’s side but they have further limited Donny van de Beek’s opportunities, who is now into his third season at Old Trafford.
Van de Beek has struggled since Ole Gunnar Solskjaer signed him from Ajax in 2021 and his six-month loan at Everton did not got according to plan either.
When Ten Hag was appointed, the feeling was that if any manager was going to give Van de Beek a chance to save his Old Trafford career, it would be him.
Van de Beek started just his second Premier League game of the season earlier this week as United faced Bournemouth but his evening was cut short due to injury.
Ten Hag remained coy on the situation after the game but it’s becoming increasingly clear that the injury Van de Beek sustained is not a minor issue.
Now, speaking ahead of the FA Cup third-round clash with Everton on Friday night, Ten Hag has confirmed that United are still waiting for clarification on his fitness.
“Not yet,” Ten Hag said when asked if he knew the results of Van de Beek’s examinations, as per the official Manchester United website.
“We are still doing investigations. Once we have it, once we finalise this process, we will bring an update.”
SN’s verdict…
Unfortunately, it hasn’t worked out for Van de Beek at all over the last two-and-a-half years but it would be so cruel if he is sidelined for an extended period.
His chances of winning a starting place at United may be gone but a long-term injury would further dent his hopes of sealing a move to a different side.
