Erik ten Hag has explained his team selection for tonight’s Champions League group-stage tie between Manchester United and Galatasaray.
The Red Devils are on home turf for the clash, and the Old Trafford faithful will be roaring the side on from minute one through to 90, as United look to acquire their first European win this season.
Hannibal Mejbri has returned to the starting line-up to partner five-time winner of the competition, Casemiro.
The manager also touched on the indisputable impact that injuries have had on his side’s form so far this term; 16 players have missed at least a game already, with Victor Lindelof the only regular starter to be consistently available.
Since the start of pre-season, 16 players in the current #mufc squad have been injured or unwell. All bar Lindelof (who came off unwell at Arsenal) have missed a game.
— Samuel Luckhurst (@samuelluckhurst) September 29, 2023
Ten Hag’s pre-match comments
Speaking to the TNT Sports pundits ahead of kick-off, Ten Hag said: “One change [Hannibal], we thought [he’d] bring that energy but also Hannibal’s a very young player – he’s not able to play three times in a week. He’s not at that experience [level]. We want to keep him in that energy, so yeah, we have to manage the squad in that perspective.
“I think from a tactical approach it fits very good today.”
Regarding United’s recent results, he added: “I thought on Saturday, we did a lot very good [well] but in the box, we were very poor; movement, decision making on the ball… and so you don’t create many chances. We have to do that much better. Bruno [Fernandes] and Marcus Rashford are the players who we have to bring in [the] game, and they have to make the decisions, make the movement to do it together.”
“Absolutely,” Ten Hag responded when asked if injuries are delaying the progress of the team. “We all know that you have to win here – it doesn’t matter who is on the pitch. It’s delaying the process, things are not going so [as] quick as you want… and I’m very impatient.
“I want to have better games, make more progress, better results. But in the moment, it’s about how we have to be creative, we have to make compromises that I don’t want. We have to win games.”
"It's delaying the process… and I'm very impatient!"
Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag catches up with @laura_woodsy, @rioferdy5 and Paul Scholes ahead of an important evening at Old Trafford 🌟#UCL pic.twitter.com/kpSqcqa8GC
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) October 3, 2023
Footage courtesy of TNT Sports.
