Manchester United striker Rasmus Hojlund is due to miss next weekend’s derby against Manchester City after suffering a muscle injury in a significant blow for manager Erik ten Hag.
The in-form 21-year-old, who had scored seven goals in his last six appearances for United, will sit out Saturday’s Premier League match against Fulham and Wednesday’s FA Cup fifth-round tie at Nottingham Forest.
United said the Denmark international is expected to miss two to three weeks, a timeframe that would also rule him out of the trip to the Etihad Stadium a week on Sunday.
“It’s a small injury, two to three weeks,” Ten Hag said in Friday’s press conference. “That’s what happened, that is the risk playing high intensity, training. It’s not a big injury but he has to wait now for two, three weeks.”
Hojlund’s injury – which comes in the same week that Luke Shaw was ruled out for several months – leaves Ten Hag short of options in attack with Anthony Martial already sidelined until April following a groin operation and it is likely that Marcus Rashford will be asked to play in a central role.
Ten Hag was speaking for the first time since Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s purchase of a minority stake in the club was ratified and after the billionaire gave a wide-ranging interview in midweek in which he laid out ambitious plans to knock the likes of Manchester City and Liverpool “off their perch”.
Ten Hag said he and Ratcliffe, whose Ineos group have taken control of footballing operations following the deal, are on the same page.
“We speak a lot, we have many conversations with him and with Dave Brailsford (Ineos director of sport) about this club, about the team about the structures,” he said. “We are very aligned. Their ambitions fit with the ambitions I have, with the ambitions I had when I came in.
“We are in that project now. For me, I’m 18, 19 months in and I see (things) go in the right direction. We had setbacks in the second season but you see the team coming, you see the squad progressing and developing.”
And the Dutchman denied that he would find himself under increased pressure given the expectations that Ratcliffe will have for the club. United have won four in a row in the league but remain five points adrift of the top four.
“No more pressure because we have the same ambition, we have the same targets,” Ten Hag said. “I see the process and I see this team is developing, it’s progressing.
“I see we have now also the right age across the squad, we can make that even stronger and they will grow and we will do everything in our power. There is strong competition and there are reasons behind it.
“We still have to catch up in the moment where every game is a final for us because we have to be in the Champions League. The players want this, the team want this but we have to believe.”
Injuries, however, could be the thing that derails United’s bid to break into the top four.
Hojlund and Shaw have joined an injury list that already includes Martial, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Lisandro Martinez, Mason Mount and Tyrell Malacia.
“Of course that is an issue but other clubs have this and we have to deal with this,” Ten Hag said. “I feel we can deal with it better but still it’s an issue with the depth of the squad, and the squad have to prove it.”
Man Utd's Mazraoui reveals mentality switch helped save his career
Noussair Mazraoui believes a shift in his mentality was crucial to him finding his way in the professional game, and ultimately ending up in the Premier League at Manchester United.
Mazraoui joined United in August, after a spell with Bayern Munich following a successful stint at Ajax, where he worked under Erik ten Hag.
The full-back has turned in some bright displays in the early days of his United career, and ahead of Saturday’s clash with struggling Southampton, the 26-year-old reflected on his career path so far.
"When I became older and more mature, it was still, yeah, almost 50-50 [whether I would make it]," he said in an interview with Inside United. "I went and played professional football without a contract. And, what you said, it was do or die because, at that moment, you come to the point of no return.
"It’s either you go for it fully or that’s it. You will just make steps upwards or, from there on, it could be the end of your career, but you cannot even say your career as it was not even at the beginning.
"So that was a little bit the case when I became 18 or 19 years old and, from there on, something in my head just switched.
"I didn’t look back anymore. I just looked forward. I had a goal and that was to fight for a contract and to be a professional footballer because I was just so close, I could smell it. And, yeah, if you don’t make it, it would be that you will regret that for the rest of your life. And I wouldn’t want to live with that. "
A sorry 3-0 home defeat to Liverpool saw United head into the international break with a whimper, and on the back of two straight Premier League losses.
But a match against one of the only two winless teams in the Premier League as it stands surely presents a great opportunity for United to get back on track in Saturday's early kick-off.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Southampton – Aaron Ramsdale
New Southampton goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale, signed from Arsenal on deadline day, is set to make his home debut at St Mary's.
Since keeping a clean sheet in his first Premier League game against United while at Bournemouth in November 2019, the England international has conceded in each of his last eight games against the Red Devils. His 19 goals conceded in these games is the joint-most he’s shipped against any opponent in the competition (also 19 v Liverpool).
Manchester United – Joshua Zirkzee
Zirkzee scored and assisted in the Netherlands’ 5-2 win over Bosnia-Herzegovina last week, and will now be looking to keep up the momentum on his return to club football.
The forward netted the winner when United beat Fulham 1-0 in the opening match of the season.
MATCH PREDICTION: MAN UTD WIN
United have lost as many as two of their first three league games in a season for the second time under Ten Hag (also 2022-23), as many times as they had in their previous 29 campaigns combined (2018-19 and 2020-21). They last lost three of their first four back in 1986-87.
Southampton were beaten 3-1 at Brentford last time out. They are now on 399 Premier League defeats, from 927 matches, and are on the brink of becoming the fifth team to lose as many as 400 games in the competition, and in the fewest amount of fixtures (West Ham 976, Aston Villa 1,072, Newcastle 1,090, Everton 1,128).
Southampton are looking to avoid becoming the first team to lose each of their first four in three different Premier League seasons, previously having done so in 1998-99 and 2012-13 (the last time they were a promoted side).
United, meanwhile, have scored around three goals fewer than their xG suggests they should have so far this season (two goals from 5.2 xG), the biggest such difference in the competition this term.
Errors have been a huge thorn in the side of both these teams. Southampton (four) and United (three) have made the most errors leading to a goal in the Premier League so far this season. Indeed, all three of the goals the Red Devils conceded in their loss at Liverpool last time out came via errors, the first time on record they have ever committed as many in a single Premier League match (since 2007-08).
United are unbeaten in their last 12 Premier League away games against Southampton (W7 D5) since a 1-0 loss in August 2003, so while they may be out of form, there is reason for Ten Hag to be confident.
In fact, Southampton are winless in their last 14 Premier League meetings with United (D8 L6) since a 1-0 away win in January 2016.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Southampton – 23.6%
Man Utd – 52.25%
Draw – 24.2%
Odegaard set to miss Spurs and Man City clashes after Norway injury
Martin Odegaard is set to miss three weeks of Premier League action after sustaining an ankle injury on international duty, according to Norway's team doctor.
Odegaard was forced to withdraw from Norway's 2-1 win over Austria in the Nations League on Monday after coming together with Christoph Baumgartner in midfield.
The 25-year-old has since returned to London for further assessment but looks likely to miss the Gunners' important league fixtures against Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City.
Mikel Arteta is already without Declan Rice for the north London derby this weekend following his red card against Brighton and Hove Albion.
And while no time frame has been officially confirmed by Arteta, Norway’s team doctor Ola Sand believed Odegaard would need a few weeks to recover.
“Such ankle injuries often take at least three weeks. Anything other than that is just a bonus, and then it can take longer,” Sand told Norwegian newspaper VG.
“What we have so far obtained from the MRI examination in London is that there is probably no fracture in the ankle.
“It is always a bit difficult to interpret an MRI scan when you have had an old injury, but Arsenal are almost certain there is no breach, but this may still take some time.
“In the event of a fracture, we are talking about being out of action for six weeks plus.”
Odegaard would also miss Arsenal's first Champions League fixture away to Atalanta on September 19 as the Gunners look to improve on their quarter-final run in the competition last season.
The Gunners captain is yet to register a goal or an assist this term, but has again proved influential for Arteta, with his five chances created, a total only bettered by Bukayo Saka (eight) in the first three games of the new season.
As well as Arsenal missing Odegaard, Arteta will be sweating on the fitness of summer signing Riccardo Calafiori after he was replaced in Italy's 3-1 win over France last week with a calf injury.
Fellow arrival Mikel Merino is sidelined after sustaining a fractured shoulder, though there could be a return to the side for Gabriel Jesus after recovering from a groin issue.
Vinicius apologises to Brazil supporters after Paraguay defeat
Vinicius Junior apologised to Brazil's supporters following their defeat to Paraguay, acknowledging "it is a difficult time" for the Selecao.
The five-time world champions were beaten 1-0 in Asuncion, with Diego Gomez's 20th-minute strike condemning them to a fourth defeat in five qualifying games.
Dorival Junior's side occupy fifth place in the CONMEBOL section - in which the top six nations automatically qualify for the 2026 World Cup, with the team finishing seventh entering the Inter-confederation play-offs.
Already eight points adrift of leaders Argentina, Brazil are now just one ahead of eighth-place Bolivia, and Vinicius knows he and his team-mates must do better.
"We apologise to the fans, who are always on our side," the Real Madrid forward told Sportv. "But this is a difficult time, we just want to improve.
"I know my potential, I know what I can do for the national team. Of course, it's been a very difficult process, because when you don't have confidence, you don't get goals, you don't get assists and good performances.
"We know the situation we're in, we want to get Brazil out of this situation at any cost, we all have to go home now and start thinking about what we can do to get back to playing well.
"We cannot come here, lose these points and play the way we did. It is a difficult time, we must take on board all the criticism and return as quickly as possible to put Brazil on top."
Meanwhile, Marquinhos believes Brazil are going through a transitional period, and that they are not brimming with belief as a result.
"The coach is still figuring out the best way for us to play and that's reflected in the result," the defender told Brazilian TV Globo. "There are a lot of new players, we are lacking confidence.
"Qualifying isn't easy, it's a difficult time, and we have to know how to manage it. It's a time of transition, we're not feeling confident. We're going to work hard, getting results on the pitch is the best answer."
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