Erik ten Hag expects Tyrell Malacia to end up missing the entire season through injury as the Manchester United manager’s left-back frustrations continue.
The Red Devils have been beset by problems during a bumpy second term for Ten Hag, who is fighting for his job over the coming weeks and months.
United have had to deal with key absentees and been left light in certain areas, most problematically left-back as Luke Shaw’s issues have compounded the season-long absence of Malacia.
Ten Hag said just under a month ago that he soon hoped to have the Netherlands international back from a knee complaint, having dealt with some setbacks during rehab.
But the United boss will have to keep muddling through at left-back for the foreseeable future after he revealed Malacia’s return is unlikely to come this season.
“We talk about one of my biggest frustrations is there,” Ten Hag said.
“You can accept in a position that a player is not available, but when two players are not available over the course of the season that is very frustrating.
“Because that is also very difficult to catch up as a team, but we dealt with it in the best way, but of course it is a disadvantage.”
Asked how far away Malacia is from returning, the United boss said: “I think it’s going to be difficult for this season to be available.
“He will fight, he’s back on the pitch, but not in the team and the process had some setbacks and is still going really slowly forward, and the season is going to an end.”
That blow puts United’s decision to allow Sergio Reguilon to return to Tottenham midway through a season-long loan in the spotlight.
Signed in September to provide back-up with Malacia lied low, the Spain international was sent back to Spurs in January and has since made a temporary switch to Brentford.
Asked if it was a mistake letting Reguilon go back, frustrated Ten Hag said: “I think it’s a good question because in December I had the talks internally with, of course, medical and performance (staff).
“They assured me they (injured defenders) will be fit in January, they will be both fit in January, so you have two left full-backs.
“Then when you have two left full-backs and you have a third one, that means I always have to disappoint one full-back.”
Malacia was undergoing rehab at that point and Shaw was recovering from an injury issue that kept him out for five weeks, returning in late January against Newport in the FA Cup.
That was one of five appearances the England international managed before sustaining a muscle injury that is expected to rule him out until mid-May.
“I think it’s the same,” Ten Hag said of Shaw. “Maybe for the last games of the season, but we don’t expect him back this or next month.”
The duo are among a number of injuries at a key time for United, with Everton arriving in the Premier League on Saturday lunchtime before hosting Liverpool in next weekend’s FA Cup quarter-final.
Those matches could also go a long way to deciding the future of Ten Hag, who he believes Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s Ineos understands the issues he has had to contend with this season.
“They are aware of it,” the Dutchman said. “We talk a lot with each other, talk a lot about processes and the way we want to go for the future.”
Pushed on whether they appreciate the difficulties and are understanding, Ten Hag added: “That is what they’re telling me but I’m independent, I’m here to win.
“I’m in a process and we keep going in this process. We know which direction we want to go.
“We have now big setbacks, we’ve had big setbacks but we keep going and have a strong mentality. We keep fighting and keep pushing the team in the right direction.”
Keane doubts Man Utd will crack top four under Amorim this season
Roy Keane does not believe Manchester United will get back into the Premier League's top four under Ruben Amorim this season due to a "real lack of quality".
The Red Devils legend was speaking after United started life under the Portuguese with a 1-1 draw at Ipswich Town, as Omari Hutchinson cancelled out Marcus Rashford's second-minute opener.
Keane acknowledged Amorim has to be given time to turn things around at Old Trafford, but does not see United cracking the top four this season.
"You have to give the man a chance," Keane told Sky Sports. "But the threat going forward, it's a huge problem for Man Utd. It's not good enough.
"Do I believe they have the quality to get them back to top four? Absolutely not. The evidence is not there. It's the same old stuff. Predictable and a real lack of quality."
United created 0.9 xG compared to Ipswich's 1.75 and had fewer shots on target (four) compared to Ipswich (six) at Portman Road.
They did have more touches in the opposition box (16 to 11) but had fewer final-third entries (48 to 61) and big chances created (two to three).
Ipswich were extremely resilient opponents after their early setback, and Tractor Boys boss Kieran McKenna praised his side, particularly Hutchinson after he grabbed his first Premier League goal.
"I thought he (Hutchinson) was a big threat first half, naturally more a winger, but most teams are going to press us high and in the spaces in the middle of the pitch having a dribbler in the middle of the pitch who's elusive and hard to pick up can be a big threat," he told Sky Sports.
"I think it's his first goal in the Premier League he'll be happy to have that of his back and he's improving."
"The first half, it's a blow to concede the early goal but I thought as the half went on we grew in the ascendancy, and the intensity of pressing and work on the ball.
"I thought we were the dominant team in the first half and deserved to be going in at least level. Second half in fairness, Man Utd had more control. It was difficult, we had to defend with real discipline on shape."
Leganes 0-3 Real Madrid: Mbappe and Bellingham score as Blancos close on Barcelona
Kylian Mbappe and Jude Bellingham were both on target as Real Madrid moved to within four points of LaLiga leaders Barcelona with a 3-0 win at Leganes.
Federico Valverde also scored for Carlo Ancelotti's side, who still have a game in hand on leaders Barca, who were pegged back in a 2-2 draw with Celta Vigo on Saturday.
Mbappe ended a goal drought of over 400 minutes after being teed up by Vinicius Junior shortly before half-time, moments after Leganes had surrendered possession near the edge of their own area.
Madrid dominated possession throughout the second half and doubled their advantage in the 66th minute, Valverde drilling a low effort home from a free-kick won by Bellingham.
Bellingham later got in on the act with a header on the rebound after substitute Brahim Diaz rattled the crossbar, as Madrid cruised to back-to-back league wins.
Data Debrief: Dirty work pays off for Madrid
Mbappe's opener, scored at a vital time shortly before the interval, set Madrid on their way to victory on Sunday.
Eduardo Camavinga and Bellingham both pressed high to help the visitors recover possession in the build-up, and Madrid have now scored five goals resulting from high turnovers in LaLiga this season – the most of any team across Europe's top five leagues.
This was the first time Ancelotti had faced Leganes in LaLiga, and he has now beaten all 28 different opponents he has come up against in the competition.
Napoli 1-0 Roma: Lukaku downs former club on Ranieri's return
Claudio Ranieri's Roma return was spoilt by Romelu Lukaku, whose goal against his old club sealed a 1-0 win for Napoli.
Ranieri was appointed Roma boss over the international break, with the 73-year-old coming out of retirement to take charge of the club for a third time.
Yet it was ex-Roma striker Lukaku who decided Sunday's contest at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona, with his 54th-minute effort sending Antonio Conte's team back to the top of Serie A.
Lukaku was well-placed to convert from Giovanni Di Lorenzo's cutback, bringing up his fifth Serie A goal of the campaign.
Roma, who had just two attempts and managed only 0.07 expected goals (xG) in the first half, woke up after Lukaku's goal, with Artem Dovbyk powering a header off the woodwork from a free-kick minutes later, but the visitors' comeback attempts proved fruitless.
Ranieri's next task is to rally his troops for a Europa League clash with Tottenham on Thursday.
Data Debrief: Ranieri's underwhelming return
There was no sign of an immediate upturn for 12th-place Roma, if they were hoping for a new-coach bounce.
Roma ended the first half with fewer than 70 successful passes (68). It is the first time they have had so few successful passes in the opening half of a league game since 2004-05.
With only three wins to their name in the league, they have won fewer than four matches in their opening 13 Serie A games for the first time since the 1978-79 campaign (also three).
And of course, it had to be Lukaku, who was leading their line last season, that delivered the hammer blow. The Belgium international has been involved in nine goals in Serie A this term (five goals, four assists). Only his former Everton club-mate Ademola Lookman, now a star at Atalanta, has contributed to more goals in the competition (seven goals, four assists).
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