After suffering one of the most unprecedented and debilitating injury crises of recent years in 2023/2024, Manchester United’s torrid luck has struck again following a double blow in pre-season.
The Reds locked horns with Arsenal in the early hours of Sunday morning in what came as the first fixture in their United States tour. United fell to a 2-1 defeat courtesy of a late dagger from Gabriel Martinelli but did reign victorious in the post-match penalty shootout.
Nevertheless, the result – as is usually the case with pre-season matches – won’t be taking the headlines this morning. Certainly not on the United side of reporting, anyway.
During the clash, Erik ten Hag lost two players to injury: Rasmus Hojlund, who opened the scoring within 10 minutes at the SoFi Stadium, and new recruit Leny Yoro.
The centre-forward departed the field just five minutes after his early goal, having sustained an apparent hamstring injury through sprinting to get on the end of a cross. When being replaced, James Ducker (The Telegraph) claims the ‘disconsolate’ Hojlund mouthed the word “hamstring” to United’s medical staff on the sidelines.
Read more: Rasmus Hojlund bullies Arsenal defender before sensational opening goal in LA
A nightmare start to life in Red for Yoro
As for Yoro, his night came to an early and abrupt end around the 33rd-minute mark due to a muscle complaint in only his second outing for the club since his £58.8 million move from Lille.
Ducker’s post-match report adds that the young Frenchman appeared ‘crestfallen’ as he was initially consoled by senior counterpart Harry Maguire – before Amad Diallo and Hannibal Mejbri also made their way over to check-in.
United’s opening fixture of the 2024/2025 campaign is penned in for August 16 at home to Fulham.
Quick recovery pals. You did well last night despite the loss.
Erik ten hag’s training methods need to be scrutinized.