Manchester United manager, Erik ten Hag, has emphasized that he will not take unnecessary risks with his players ahead of the Community Shield match against Manchester City.
The Dutch manager, known for his strategic approach, is focused on maintaining player fitness as the new season approaches.
In the lead-up to the Community Shield, Ten Hag faced several challenges, with key players missing from pre-season friendlies.
Bruno Fernandes, Lisandro Martínez, and Alejandro Garnacho were notably absent, raising concerns about their availability for the match against City.
Adding to United’s injury woes, Leny Yoro and new signing Rasmus Højlund are both sidelined ahead of the season opener.
The defensive line is also under scrutiny, with doubts surrounding the fitness of Harry Maguire, Luke Shaw, Victor Lindelöf, and Aaron Wan-Bissaka.
This has left Ten Hag with tough decisions as he prepares his squad for the upcoming challenge.
Addressing the media, Ten Hag reflected on the importance of player availability, stating, “The FA Cup was a higher occasion than the game on Saturday. Nevertheless, we want to win, but we showed on occasions we can beat City. We have that belief, but we dondon’t want to take a risk with players and lose them for long periods.”
The manager’s cautious approach stems from lessons learned last season, where injuries to key players significantly impacted the team’s performance.
“When you are getting in a pattern where we are missing many players with injuries from the same team unit, that affects the results,” Ten Hag noted.
As United prepare for their clash with Manchester City, Ten Hag remains committed to balancing the desire to win with the need to ensure his players remain fit and available for the long season ahead.
“We want to get results, and for that, players have to be available,” he concluded.