Erik ten Hag has dealt with a huge handicap in the first half of this season and that has been the absence of an unreasonable amount of first-team players.
Ten Hag has been without a at least handful of players that would have been playing going into every game since September and that has, obviously, crippled the side’s ability to surmount any type of challenge and be competitive.
That has not been the sole reason for United’s catastrophic first half of the campaign but it has, without doubt, meant that Ten Hag’s hands have been tied.
Now, just after the turn of the year, there is positive news for Ten Hag after it was announced that Lisandro Martinez and Casemiro were the first players back from long-term injury.
Martinez and Casemiro have both returned to full training and speaking ahead of Monday’s game against Wigan in the FA Cup, the manager spoke of his delight at having the duo back.
In addition to the imminent returns of Martinez and Casemiro, Ten Hag has delightfully revealed that four other players will also return in January.
“Yeah, I think players are on the point to return on the grass, to return on the pitch,” the manager is quoted as saying by the official Manchester United website.
“Like Harry Maguire, Luke Shaw, Tyrell Malacia, Mason Mount. There are players I think during January they will return back into the team.”
The news will come as a huge boost for Ten Hag as he looks to finally build some momentum in what is, hopefully, a better second half of the season.
Building momentum is almost impossible when you have a new long-term injury every week and the return of most of his players could turn the club’s season around.