Denmark caretaker boss Lars Knudsen warns patience is requited with Rasmus Hojlund this season.
Hojlund recently returned from an injury that kept him out of action for the start of the season. The October international break came at a good time as the striker needed minutes to step up his match sharpness.
The 21-year-old, who made two appearances for Denmark during the break, started his nation’s 2-2 draw with Switzerland on Tuesday night after being benched against Spain the previous weekend.
A hamstring injury sustained in pre-season meant Hojlund missed the start of the season, which didn’t help United’s problem in front of goal. The team has created plenty of chances in games, but putting them away has proven difficult for the majority of Erik ten Hag’s forward players.
Hojlund’s first appearance of the season came on September 21 in a scoreless draw with Crystal Palace. He played four more games before the international break, but Kundsen has sparked fears of a fresh injury setback after missing a training session ahead of the draw versus Switzerland.
Kundsen told PLBold (cited by the Manchester Evening News): “Rasmus must have the opportunity to really play his way back into his highest gear, and he is well on his way. Rasmus is a fantastic player, and he delivers a fine effort. He has a really high level.
“You have to remember that he has only just come back. This was only his third start this season [vs Switzerland], and he has basically missed an entire pre-season.”
Hojlund is still a young prospect
This is something United were well aware of when they signed Hojlund. Ten Hag and his coaching staff at the time knew they weren’t getting the finished article, but that did not removethe high expectations on Hojlund’s shoulders.
Nor should it.
That is part and parcel of being a centre-forward at the biggest football club in the world.
Patience is required to get the best out of all our young players.
