Manchester United will "do everything" to deny Manchester City a potential treble when they face their cross-city rivals in the FA Cup final, Erik ten Hag has promised.

United reached a record-equalling 21st FA Cup final with Sunday's penalty shoot-out victory over Brighton and Hove Albion at Wembley Stadium, Solly March blazing over the crossbar as the rest of the 14 spot-kicks were converted. 

The two Manchester clubs will now face off in a major cup final for the first time on June 3, after a Riyad Mahrez hat-trick guided City to a 3-0 win over Sheffield United in the last four.

With City battling Arsenal in the Premier League title race and being drawn against Real Madrid in the Champions League semi-finals, Pep Guardiola's team could yet collect three major trophies this term. 

Doing so would see them match the famous achievements of United's 1998-99 side, and Ten Hag knows how much the club's fanbase would relish denying City.

"I understand, of course, the feelings from the Manchester United fans about it," the Dutchman said.

"We will do everything to give them that, to give them the second trophy, everything that I have, everything the team have, everything the staff have, we will give everything to get that done.

"We can do it, because we proved it, but it's not an easy job. It's a great team, but we'll also have a great team and great players and we can beat them.

"More than 100 per cent, you can't do, so the fans can rely on that. We will give it and we will do it against every opponent, it doesn't matter who it is.

"Of course, we want to give that against City. We want to give the fans that, sure."

Having beaten Newcastle United to lift the EFL Cup in February, United have reached both domestic cup finals in the same season for just the third time. 

However, the Red Devils have never won both trophies in the same campaign, lifting the FA Cup but losing the EFL Cup showpiece game in the 1982-83 and 1993-94 seasons.

Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag paid tribute to David de Gea for bouncing back from a difficult game against Sevilla in Sunday's FA Cup semi-final penalties win over Brighton and Hove Albion.

De Gea was generally seen as culpable for all three of Sevilla's goals in Thursday's 3-0 defeat, which sealed United's elimination from the Europa League at the quarter-final stage.

But three days later he made several excellent saves to deny Brighton, with those stops ultimately contributing to the game going to penalties.

While De Gea never got particularly close to any of Brighton's spot-kicks, United did progress to the final thanks to emerging 7-6 victors, with Solly March blazing over before Victor Lindelof sealed the Seagulls' fate.

United's collective performance may not have been spectacular, but the improvement from Thursday was significant – including De Gea.

"I think he had two brilliant saves and know that he's a world-class keeper," Ten Hag said. "Thursday, he had a really bad day at the office, and it hurt.

"Really bad [day in the] office I have seen, but it's always when you are the keeper and you make mistakes, often you get penalised.

"But it doesn't mean that we have to go under. And also, we as a team, we let him down [against Sevilla] and we didn't fight back on Thursday.

"[Criticism] was justified on Thursday but, today, the lads deserve compliments and credit because they bounced back once again, they showed character.

"What we have to learn and improve, which must be our next step, is that if we have a setback in a game, we fight back in that same game, that we keep calm and fight back in that same game.

"We have to deal with setbacks and we can do it better but in between games, and it's not the first time, we do it very well."

Manchester City await United in the final, making it the first ever Manchester derby in the FA Cup showpiece.

United will go into the contest as considerable outsiders, though Ten Hag pointed to their 2-1 win in January's derby as evidence they can defeat Pep Guardiola's treble-chasers.

"We have proof that we can beat them but then we have to play the perfect game," Ten Hag continued.

"That was the most perfect game we played this season [winning the derby in January] but we have to go again.

"We know that but, first of all, we have to focus on different games because we have to be in the top four, to get into the Champions League for next season."

Erik ten Hag claimed Manchester United are now a "different team" to that which began his reign with a dismal defeat to Brighton and Hove Albion, ahead of Sunday's FA Cup semi-final against the same opponents.

Last August, Ten Hag became the first United boss to lose his first Premier League game in charge since Louis van Gaal in 2014, as Pascal Gross scored twice in Brighton's 2-1 win at Old Trafford.

That result was swiftly followed by a crushing 4-0 defeat at Brentford, but United have since recovered to lift the EFL Cup and lead the race for final two top-four places.

On Sunday, Brighton will attempt to deny United a place in a record-equalling 21st FA Cup final, and Ten Hag believes the Seagulls will be facing a much-improved team at Wembley Stadium.

"I've heard from many experts and the fans that we've made progress and developed," Ten Hag said. "We're a different team now, but we know we have steps to go. That's quite clear.

"I can speak after Seville, it's quite clear. No team always plays at the highest level, I know, but even if you don't play at the highest level, you still have to win. That is what we have to learn."

The FA Cup represents United's last chance to win a second piece of silverware in Ten Hag's debut campaign, following Thursday's dire Europa League elimination at the hands of Sevilla.

Having described United's performance in that game as "unacceptable", Ten Hag was asked whether he replicates Alex Ferguson's use of the 'hairdryer treatment' following poor displays.

"Sometimes yes, I can go strong in certain situations," he said. "It's a tool, but it's about the timing. 

"You need to know when to use it. As a coach, you can pick many communication styles, and this is one of them.

"[On Thursday], you could tell I was really mad. For me, it was so unacceptable. You can make a mistake, but you have to carry on.

"If you play in the quarter-final of the Europa League, you have to give everything and we didn't.

"For any club in my view, that is unacceptable. As a manager, I cannot accept that my team is not giving its best. I would never accept it and the players were made aware of this."

Erik ten Hag expects his Manchester United players to show a stronger mentality and "earn the right to wear the shirt" after they crashed out of the Europa League with a whimper at Sevilla.

It was a horror show for the Red Devils in the second leg at Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan on Thursday as they were consigned to a 3-0 second-leg defeat, losing the quarter-final 5-2 on aggregate.

United shot themselves in the foot, Harry Maguire robbed for the first goal after taking a pass from David de Gea to gift Youssef En-Nesyri an early opener.

En-Nesyri later capitalised on terrible mistake from De Gea to complete the scoring after more poor defending gave Loic Bade the opportunity to score Sevilla's second goal.

United were abysmal with so much at stake and boss Ten Hag, who was appointed as boss a year ago on Friday, warned they must raise their standards ahead of an FA Cup semi-final against Brighton and Hove Albion at Wembley on Sunday.

Ten Hag said: "We can't deny it, it's mental, definitely, we have to learn that you keep going, you carry on. 

"This team what they can do very well is bounce back in between games, what they can do less is bounce back during a game to a setback. That is what we have to improve."

He added: "You have to acknowledge, it's the truth, we have to do better, I know that.

"I have to reach the players to do better in such circumstances, we deal better with such expectations, the demands on this team, we are Manchester United, they are high, we have to improve it, I have to reach the players and they have to step up."

Ten Hag says United remain a work in progress as they prepare for another huge cup tie.

He said: "I think we are always playing for our future as professional players. Every game is a test, every season is a test, you have to earn the right to wear the shirt.

"It's for me as a manager. We are in the same boat. During the season we have made huge progress. We have the experience, but we have a way to go.

"A good thing is Sunday is a huge opportunity, semi-final of the FA Cup, a better event you can't imagine, after that a lot of great games to go, we have to prove it and this group of players has to prove it."

Erik ten Hag criticised Manchester United's "passion, desire and willingness" following their Europa League quarter-final exit at the hands of Sevilla.

United, who scored two late own goals in last week's first leg to leave the tie all square at 2-2, produced another desperate defensive display as they went down 5-2 on aggregate at Roman Sanchez Pizjuan.

Once again, Ten Hag's side gifted Sevilla two goals with Youssef En-Nesyri helping himself to a brace after errors from Harry Maguire and David de Gea.

United were without several key players, including the suspended Bruno Fernandes and the injured Lisandro Martinez and Raphael Varane, but Ten Hag insisted that was no excuse for the visitors' display.

"We have to do better, that's the demand. We were not composed, not calm," he told BT Sport. "We didn't beat the press; when you do, there are so many spaces behind, and it was obvious at the start how to do it.

"We lost the battles, they had more passion, more desire, more willingness. That's difficult to win games.

"It's about the players on the pitch. They have to perform, I believe in them and trust them, but they have to show it, and they were not good enough.

"We have shown on so many occasions good things, but tonight we weren't ready for the game. At this level, playing for Manchester United, you have to be ready for every game.

"This was a great opportunity, a great occasion, to win something, and we gave it away – we have to blame ourselves.

"It's gone, we can't change it. We have to look forward to Sunday [against Brighton and Hove Albion in the FA Cup semi-finals], that's the next opportunity."

Christian Eriksen also accepted United were not at the races as they squandered the opportunity to return to the semi-finals for the third time in four seasons.

"A lot of things happened. We didn't really give them a game from the first minute, and we gave them a lot of opportunities to finish us off," the midfielder said.

"We lost a bit of our coolness, we made more mistakes than we usually do, and the whole team could not catch up with mistakes our team-mates made.

"If you give away goals like we did, you lose, it's nothing to do with the atmosphere. Our own game was not strong enough. It's football, sometimes you have good days, sometimes you have bad days, and it was a bad day. 

"Every football player makes mistakes, they punished us straight away. It's how we bounce back, and today we were not strong enough to bounce back from the mistakes."

Erik ten Hag has few concerns about Manchester United defensively and is instead focused on improving their attack as his side head to Sevilla on Thursday.

United have been without a number of key men at the back, including Lisandro Martinez, who will miss the remainder of the season.

Martinez sustained a broken metatarsal in last week's 2-2 draw at home to Sevilla in the first leg of their Europa League quarter-final.

Own goals from Tyrell Malacia and Harry Maguire saw United improbably throw away a two-goal lead at Old Trafford, yet Ten Hag is not worried about a repeat.

He is looking to see United make progress in front of goal after a succession of wasteful performances. They have underperformed their xG in seven consecutive Premier League games, falling short by 1.5 in each of their past two outings.

"Our organisation all over the pitch is quite good. We need to do better attacking," Ten Hag explained, adding: "I am confident that we can score goals tomorrow."

The return of Marcus Rashford would aid Ten Hag's cause, with the forward "available" after travelling with the team but set to be the subject of a matchday decision on his fitness.

Impressing at the other end of the pitch, meanwhile, is David de Gea, despite a difficult start to life under Ten Hag.

The goalkeeper's limited ability playing out with his feet caused problems in the early weeks of the season and appeared to indicate he was ill-suited to the manager's tactics.

But De Gea has remained United's number one and leads the Golden Glove race with 14 Premier League clean sheets.

"Stopping goals, that is the main job for a goalkeeper," Ten Hag said.

"Everyone has their own particular style. Nowadays, in possession, it has become more and more important at top levels.

"But at the end of the day it is about stopping goals, shots, crosses, one-on-ones. I think David is a complete goalkeeper."

Reported Manchester United target Jeremie Frimpong is similar to Trent Alexander-Arnold in the way he "bravely" attacks but "forgets that he needs to defend".

That is according to Dimitar Berbatov, who played for both United and Frimpong's current club Bayer Leverkusen.

Reports this week have suggested United manager Erik ten Hag is particularly keen on the right-back, having this season rotated between using Diogo Dalot and Aaron Wan-Bissaka in that role.

Frimpong has scored eight goals in the Bundesliga this season, the most of any defender across Europe's top five leagues, while only Raphael Guerreiro can match his 14 goal involvements.

Dalot has a goal and two assists in the Premier League, while Wan-Bissaka has not contributed to a single goal.

Frimpong also ranks first among defenders for touches in the opposition box (118) and second for chances created from open play (41).

In the latter category, he is joined in the top 10 by Liverpool's Alexander Arnold (35), and Berbatov sees similarities between the two – at both ends of the pitch.

"He is someone who reminds me of Trent Alexander Arnold, because he is primarily an attacking full-back and sometimes he forgets that he needs to defend as well," Berbatov, speaking on behalf of Enterprise Rent-A-Car, told Stats Perform.

"But the way he's playing, bravely going up the pitch, attacking, running, assisting and scoring goals, it's a joy for me to watch, to be honest.

"Yes, I say it in the form of a joke, but he needs to work a bit more on his defensive part of the game.

"But he's very young, he has a bright future in my mind, and I think some of the big clubs will come up to him, for sure."

Alexander-Arnold has been widely criticised for his defensive work, with that scrutiny increasing in a difficult season for Liverpool.

However, he played a hybrid midfield role on Monday against Leeds United and provided two assists in a 6-1 win.

Meanwhile, Frimpong has played every game for a Leverkusen side who have conceded 41 goals in the Bundesliga, the joint-most in the top half of the table.

Dimitar Berbatov and Ben Foster featured in Enterprise Rent-A-Car’s 2022/23 UEFA Europa League campaign content, Mission Masterclass’. You can view episode one in full https://youtu.be/XTCqaMGIvyI

Erik ten Hag had hoped his Manchester United team would kill off Nottingham Forest earlier than they did as they ran out 2-0 victors at the City Ground on Sunday.

Antony put the Red Devils ahead in the first-half, but United struggled to find a way past Keylor Navas again until Diogo Dalot grabbed a second in the 76th minute.

United ended the game with an expected goals rate (xG) of 3.49, and ultimately secured three points to leapfrog Newcastle United into third place in the Premier League.

"A solid performance. A well deserved win. The only criticism I could say, it had to be higher, the score. It had to be 3-0 or 4-0. We missed a lot of chances there," Ten Hag told Sky Sports after the game.

"You want to score and finish and kill the game in the early moments. That's always important. In big games you don't create so many chances, so you have to score them.

"We need more goalscorers and I'm happy with Antony. He scored a goal, gave an assist. His start in the game wasn't that good... But after he came into the game and he was continually a threat for the opponent."

United were without top scorer Marcus Rashford through injury, as well as defensive pair Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez after both suffered knocks in Thursday's 2-2 Europa League quarter-final first leg draw with Sevilla.

To add to Ten Hag's issues, Marcel Sabitzer was forced to pull out of the game after being injured in the warm-up on Sunday, and was replaced by Christian Eriksen.

It may have even been a benefit for Ten Hag, with the midfield trio of Casemiro, Eriksen and Bruno Fernandes winning 15 of their 17 matches started together at the club, drawing the other two.

"Sabitzer came off in the warm-up, he felt something. We decided not to take the risk, we will find out tomorrow what it is," the Red Devils' manager explained to BBC Sport. "But when you have Eriksen on the bench, it is definitely not a disadvantage.

"Last week I had nine fit top defenders, now I have four. We need all our players, we are still in three competitions, we need all the players to form a top team."

Dalot celebrated with notable enthusiasm when he made it 2-0 after running onto a pass from Antony and finishing calmly, and he explained to the BBC: "It was a release of emotions, more than the goal it was the moment of the goal, we needed it to be more comfortable.

"One-nil up with 10 minutes to go, it's going to be a war, so it came at the right moment."

Erik ten Hag has made his desire to sign a new striker for Manchester United ahead of next season clear.

The Red Devils are still fighting on three fronts this season as they battle to secure a top-four finish in the Premier League, as well as chasing glory in the FA Cup and Europa League.

United's pursuit of glory to add to the EFL Cup crown secured earlier this year has come despite a lack of central options in attack.

Wout Weghorst was signed on loan in January following the termination of Cristiano Ronaldo's contract before the World Cup in Qatar and, while performing admirably, is not the calibre of striker United are crying out for.

Ten Hag expects to change that when the window reopens for business, expressing the need for such a recruit.

"Everyone is different, obviously, but for a striker the main thing is to score goals by any method, that is so far ahead of anything else," he told Sky Sports.

"We need a striker who scores goals because we have ability in the team to put balls in the box, so we need a striker to finish.

"We have to build a new future and we need a striker who not only scores goals but contributes by linking up play very well and pressing, which is very important."

While recruitment of a new striker is clearly a priority for the upcoming transfer window, United will have to look within to provide the difference until the end of the season.

Having thrown away a two-goal lead on Thursday to draw 2-2 with Sevilla in the Europa League quarter-final first leg, Ten Hag is keen for his side to be more ruthless.

"First it has to come out of the development of the team, so we are aware that when we are dominant in a game, we have to kill the game," he added.

"We didn't do that and we let the opponent back in the tie. That was not good, it's a bad habit we have to hammer out.

"We demand from the players and the players demand from each other.

"You do your job always to 100 per cent, there are no ifs, buts or maybes, you have to deliver the performance in every circumstance."

United are away to Nottingham Forest in the Premier League on Sunday.

Erik ten Hag told Manchester United to "look in the mirror" and cut out their costly errors as he deployed a Dutch idiom to explain how he saved Bruno Fernandes from a costly Europa League red card.

The United manager threw his support behind Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof, who could both get a run in the team after injuries to Lisandro Martinez and Raphael Varane blighted Thursday's 2-2 draw with Sevilla at Old Trafford.

He also said it was too soon to gauge the severity of those injuries, even though he has his private suspicions.

Ten Hag then brought a touch of levity to a routine pre-match press conference, ahead of Sunday's trip to Nottingham Forest, when he explained why he substituted playmaker Fernandes against Sevilla.

The Dutch boss suspected his Portuguese star was at risk of being sent off, having thrown the ball away after already being booked, and he guessed any further indiscipline would see the key man ordered off.

"I don't want to take a risk. Where I come from, they call it 'looking a cow in the ass'. We call it that in my region of the Netherlands," Ten Hag said.

United were 2-0 up at the time of the substitution, with Christian Eriksen taking over from Fernandes.

Late own goals from Tyrell Malacia and Maguire scuppered hopes of victory in the first leg of the quarter-final, however, after Marcel Sabitzer's early double had put United in control.

"We had back luck definitely with injuries and the goals," Ten Hag said. "But you can avoid it, and we had to avoid it, so we also have to look in the mirror."

Asked about the injuries, Ten Hag could not specify how long Martinez and Varane may face on the sidelines. Reports Martinez may have a broken metatarsal were brushed aside but not denied.

Ten Hag said: "I don't have a complete diagnosis, so I can't say in this moment. When we have news we will give it straight to you.

"But let's do the medical, do their assessment and get a complete diagnosis, and then we will give the news. But I think it doesn't change in this moment. I have an idea, but I don't go with speculation."

He wants Maguire and Lindelof to prove their value to the team, although Maguire must miss next week's FA Cup semi-final against Brighton and Hove Albion due to suspension.

Ten Hag said he had "a lot" of faith in both defenders, who have faced criticism in the past, saying: "They are decent centre-halves. We have four or five very good centre-halves who can do the job."

What Ten Hag would have no time for is anyone who might see it as a big demand to come into the first team from out in the cold.

"I think then you're finding excuses and when you want to find excuses or set excuses then you don't have to play at Man United and you have to look for another club," Ten Hag said. "You have to wait for your moment and when your moment is there you have to contribute and to bring your performance, this is what we demand."

Scott McTominay and Luke Shaw, both absent against Sevilla, could be back on duty at the City Ground this weekend.

French forward Anthony Martial will also be involved but is unlikely to play 90 minutes as United manage his fitness after a recent hip problem.

"Maybe he can, but it's a risk," said Ten Hag, "and we can't take that risk at this moment because we don't have so many options in the front line with [Marcus] Rashford and [Alejandro] Garnacho injured, so we have to be careful."

Erik ten Hag was left ruing injury problems as Manchester United suffered late heartbreak against Sevilla in the Europa League, while Marcel Sabitzer slammed "two stupid goals" to concede.

Sabitzer's first-half double seemingly had United in complete control of Thursday's quarter-final first leg, with Ten Hag's hosts dominant throughout at Old Trafford.

Yet a Tyrell Malacia own goal six minutes from time handed Sevilla hope before Harry Maguire deflected into his own net in the 92nd minute.

Ten Hag insisted United's 2-2 draw was down to bad fortune, as opposed to his substitutes collapsing under late pressure.

The United manager told BT Sport: "I think we had the game in hand, we were 2-0 up and should have scored three or four. The game was totally on us.

"Some unlucky moments with injuries. Raphael Varane at half-time, Anthony Martial because it was his first start, Antony and Bruno Fernandes because they were on a yellow card.

"Then we lose control at an unlucky moment, then another unlucky moment with Lisandro [Martinez] going off injured when we go down to 10.

"We conceded two own goals, that is bad luck. We have to learn, we have to kill the game, but everything is open for the next game.

"I know we can do better with those players in the last part of the game, we had to be more composed and could benefit from our counter-attacking opportunities, but we didn't.

"We were a little bit unlucky with the defending, two own goals and deflected shots, it's not a nice night."

The late drama saw United become just the second English side to score two own goals in a single match in a major European competition, after Chelsea against Ten Hag's Ajax in November 2019.

It was also the first time United failed to win a match in a major European competition when they had a two-goal lead, since a 3-3 draw with Basel in September 2011.

Sabitzer was left struggling to find an explanation for the chaotic finale after United relinquished what appeared to be an unassailable position.

"I have problems finding the right words, like a rollercoaster game," the United loanee told BT Sport.

"We played a good first half, had good chances after and we had to finish the game off. At the end, it is a draw and that's not what we wanted so we have to go to Sevilla and get it done there.

"Unfortunately we gave away easy goals, we cannot concede these types of goals and we are very disappointed now.

"In a competition like this you have to be focused until the end, when you have a per cent less you can give the game away.

"I think the last minutes were a bit strange, one man down and we had to get the result done.

"But as I said, two stupid goals and that is not what we wanted. Very frustrated. You cannot concede like this and not focus until the end when you are 2-0 up at home, you have to get it done."

United will hope to fight back in the return leg at the Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan Stadium, though the Red Devils face a nervy wait on the fitness of key centre-back pairing Varane and Martinez.

Ten Hag suggested Varane aggravated an injury that kept him on the sidelines after March's international break, while the Dutchman was concerned Martinez went down despite not challenging another player.

"Licha drops out after a moment when there was no opponent involved, it doesn't look that great so we have to wait," Ten Hag added.

"The same with Rafa, an injury he has complained about over the last few weeks, so we have to see how it is now."

Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag expects Marcus Rashford and Luke Shaw to return from injury fairly soon but revealed Alejandro Garnacho's situation is "more severe".

United confirmed on Wednesday that Rashford is due to miss "a few games" after sustaining a muscle injury in Saturday's 2-0 win over Everton.

The striker pulled up late on with apparent groin discomfort and was swiftly withdrawn, meaning United will have to cope without their leading scorer for the time being, starting with Thursday's Europa League quarter-final first leg at home to Sevilla.

Shaw will also miss the visit of Jose Luis Mendilibar's side after being absent for the weekend win over Everton.

United have not confirmed what injury Shaw is suffering from, but Ten Hag seems to believe he will not be out for much longer – unlike Garnacho.

The young winger was injured a month ago against Southampton and Ten Hag seemingly is not expecting him back soon.

Asked whether Shaw or Garnacho would be able to face Sevilla, Ten Hag told reporters: "No, both [are] not available.

"Definitely the injury of Garnacho is more severe, is more strong, but Luke Shaw I expect him back at short notice, yes."

As for Rashford, Ten Hag was unable to be any more specific than United's earlier statement saying he would be out for "a few games".

Though he insisted the England international will not be out for long.

"A few games, so that's the statement" he said. "I can't give more details on it because we don't know. We'll have to see it how it develops.

"It's a setback and he's disappointed, but he's not totally broke because he will return quickly. He's started his rehab and that helps to get back soon."

Manchester United are at their best when Anthony Martial is in the team, according to manager Erik ten Hag.

Martial's career at Old Trafford since signing from Monaco in 2015 has been plagued by injuries, with the forward loaned out to Sevilla for the second half of last season where he scored just once in 12 appearances.

A strong pre-season meant this campaign started with optimism, though he has again been in and out of the line-up because of his fitness with Marcus Rashford's goals proving crucial in his absence.

With Rashford ruled out for several games with a muscle injury and January loan signing Wout Weghorst struggling in front of goal, Ten Hag needs Martial to start firing if United are to add more silverware to the EFL Cup they lifted in February, which ended a six-year trophy drought.

Ten Hag is confident the 27-year-old will be a big help over the rest of the season, though he will not rush the forward back to the team before he is ready despite him scoring off the bench in the 2-0 victory over Everton at the weekend.

"We don't have to force things," Ten Hag told reporters. "We are careful. The front line against Everton worked really well.

"When he [Martial] is in the team, we play our best football and we have our best results as a team. The time he needs for a goal is less. I defend him because I point to the stats and see how he contributes."

Martial's first start since January could come against his former side Sevilla in the Europa League on Thursday as United meet the six-time winners in the first leg of their quarter-final clash at Old Trafford.

Ten Hag believes Martial is ready to play from the off for the first time since returning from a hip injury, saying: "I think he is ready to start.

"But the front line did very well against Brentford and we picked the same against Everton. The advantage was we could bring Martial back slowly, giving him minutes, but I think already against Everton he was ready to start the game."

United could also be boosted by Christian Eriksen being available for the starting XI for the first time in over three months, after his strong start with the Red Devils was hampered by an ankle injury suffered against Reading in the FA Cup fourth round back in January.

Ten Hag believes the Denmark international's return will improve United's midfield, explaining: "I think the balance in the midfield was good with Casemiro, Eriksen and Bruno [Fernandes].

"Casemiro is the balance player, Eriksen can support him but also go to the final part of the game, can create chances with key passes.

"So yeah, a really important player and I think he had seven or eight assists in the league, which tells the story."

Marcus Rashford will miss Manchester United's next few games, the Premier League giants have confirmed.

Rashford suffered a muscle injury in United's 2-0 win against Everton on Saturday.

It was revealed on Wednesday that not only will the in-form forward be out for the Europa League quarter-final first leg against Sevilla on Thursday, but further games beyond that.

The 25-year-old has had a fine season for the Red Devils, scoring 28 goals in 47 outings, but will now miss the next "few games".

The club stated: "Marcus Rashford will be unavailable for Thursday’s UEFA Europa League quarter-final game against Sevilla because of a muscle injury.

"The forward was withdrawn in the 80th minute of Saturday’s 2-0 Premier League win over Everton at Old Trafford and immediately headed to the dressing room for treatment.

"Subsequent assessment of the injury suggested that Marcus will be unavailable for a few games, but is expected to be back for the season run-in."

United manager Erik ten Hag told the club's website he has confidence in other players stepping up to take on the goalscoring burden, with their next top scorers for the season after Rashford being Bruno Fernandes (10), Antony (7), Anthony Martial (7) and Fred (6).

"We have many more players across the squad who can score," he said. 

"I think we have players like Bruno, like Jadon Sancho, like Anthony Martial, like Scott McTominay, like Antony. We have enough players with the capabilities to score goals, definitely."

After they face Sevilla at Old Trafford, United visit Nottingham Forest in the Premier League on Sunday, before the return leg in Seville next Thursday.

Erik ten Hag warned Manchester United must be more clinical after they moved a step closer to qualifying for the Champions League by beating Everton 2-0.

United leapfrogged Newcastle United into third place in the Premier League table ahead of the Magpies' trip to Brentford with a comfortable victory at Old Trafford on Saturday.

Scott McTominay scored his first goal of the season nine minutes before half-time and Anthony Martial came off the bench to seal all three points in the second half.

United's 21 shots in the first half were more than any other side have registered in the opening 45 minutes of a Premier League match this season, but Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford was outstanding as they had only a single goal to show for it.

Over the 90 minutes, United missed seven big chances, a joint-high in a single game across the league this season.

Marcus Rashford was denied by England team-mate Pickford time and again before the Red Devils' leading goalscorer limped off late on with a groin injury.

United manager Ten Hag wants to see better finishing from his side as they strive to secure a top-four finish, while also going for Europa League and FA Cup glory.

He told BBC's Match of the Day: "We have to be more clinical and more ruthless and this game has to be finished by half-time, and we didn't.

"But it is still a very good performance, and it is still a big compliment to the team."

Ten Hag praised midfielder Bruno Fernandes, who was so influential in the middle of the park, creating six chances.

He said of the Portugal international: "I think he was brilliant. He has played brilliant in a deeper role, and even last week against Newcastle he played very well, and today he was brilliant.

"He was definitely the best player on the pitch."