Manchester United resume their Premier League campaign on Sunday afternoon when they welcome Tottenham Hotspur to Old Trafford
Manchester United is set to lock horns with Tottenham Hotspur at Old Trafford this Sunday, aiming to bounce back from a run of disappointing results.
The Red Devils have been unable to secure a win in their last three encounters with Spurs and were held to a 1-1 draw by FC Twente in their Europa League opener on Wednesday.
This weekend, United will be eager to make a positive change and win three games in the Premier League this year. After five games, United and Spurs have each accumulated seven points.
There was one bright spot in the draw with Twente: United was able to prevent any further injuries. In his news conference on Thursday, manager Erik ten Hag stated that there were no new worries in front of the match this weekend.
Victor Lindelof, whose contract expires at the end of this season, hasn’t played for United since being substituted at half-time in their final pre-season friendly against Liverpool in the US. Ahead of last month’s loss to Brighton and Hove Albion, Ten Hag expressed optimism that the Swede could “return quickly”.
Yet, the centre-back hasn’t made it into a single matchday squad this season. He participated in Tuesday’s initial training session at Carrington before the draw with Twente, suggesting he might be fit for this weekend
Three days prior to United’s Premier League opener against Fulham, it was revealed that Luke Shaw would miss the start of the season due to a calf injury. At the time, United stated he would aim to return after the September international break.
However, the England international didn’t meet that goal. Ten Hag is now hopeful he will return before the October international break, if not shortly after. Ten Hag has provided an update on the expected return dates of injured duo Shaw and Tyrell Malacia.
On Shaw, Ten Hag said: “I think it’s probably, but I can’t say it’s 100 per cent sure,” when asked if the left-back would be back next month. “The plan is just be back before but, as I say I can’t say this for 100 per cent for sure it can be short after the break.”
As for Malacia, who has been out with a knee injury since the end of last season, Ten Hag revealed: “He is not that far [off], but he is now in a progress situation. At a relatively short notice, he can again return into team training and then into team performance in games. I think it would be possible [to be available again] in two months.”
Both players are expected to return to action in the coming months, with Shaw potentially back in mid-October and Malacia possibly returning in October.
