Ten Hag RAGES at Man Utd staff over left-back injury farce

Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has taken aim at his club’s medical department over the continuing left-back chaos at Old Trafford.

Sergio Reguilon was signed on loan at the start of the season from Tottenham, with cover required given the extensive fitness questions around Tyrell Malacia and Luke Shaw.

However, the Spaniard saw his loan with Manchester United cut short and he subsequently moved again temporarily, this time to Brentford.

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Reguilon managed 12 appearances throughout his short time with the club and his departure has brought with it a new set of issues in the position.

Sofyan Amrabat and Victor Lindelof have both been fielded out of position at left back in 2024 with https://www.footballtransfers.com/us/transfer-news/uk-premier-league/2024/03/man-utd-transfer-news-luke-shaw-marc-cucurella-left-backdue to being without a recognised specialist.

It is a bizarre situation and one which the manager lays squarely at the door of the club’s medical department.

Ten Hag assured Shaw and Malacia would be fit

Ahead of this weekend’s Premier League clash against Everton, the 54-year-old addressed the issue, stating plainly that he was assured that Malacia and Shaw would be fit by January.

Shaw, 28, missed three months with a thigh injury at the start of the season and has again picked up a hamstring problem.

In total he has played only 12 times in the league this season, accounting for only 40 percent of the club’s total minutes. Ten Hag believes that the England international will be lucky to play again this term.

Malacia, meanwhile, hasn’t kicked a ball all season long as he suffered a breakdown in his recovery from a knee operation which took place at the end of the last campaign. He has not even played 40 times yet for United since moving from Feyenoord in 2022.

Man Utd at a disadvantage over left-back issues

“In December, I had the talks internally, with the medical and performance [departments],” Ten Hag revealed as reported in the Daily Mail. “They assured me they will both be fit in January and so you will have two left full-backs. Then you have a third one (Reguilon), so I would always have to disappoint one full-back.

“We talk about one of my biggest frustrations, there. 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. We dealt with it in the best way, but of course it is a disadvantage.

“In our left full back position, we've had two injuries almost over the whole course of the season. I think Liverpool is a good example. Last year they had the same and they couldn't deal with it as well.”

On the 24-year-old Malacia, Ten Hag said: “I think it's going to be difficult for him to be available this season.

“He will fight, he's back on the pitch, but not in the team and the process had some setbacks for him. He's still going forwards really slowly, and the season is coming to an end.”

And on Shaw, the Dutchman said he is nowhere near making a comeback, meaning United will have to muddle on.

“I think it's the same. Maybe for the last games of the season, but we don't expect him back this month or next,” he said.

Pressure piling up on Ten Hag with moves made behind scenes

United are reeling from the loss of up to 10 first-team players at a crucial juncture of the season. Pressure has been piled on Ten Hag, with some of his squad reportedly blaming their boss for the spate of muscle injuries suffered this term.

Ten Hag could find himself replaced at the end of the season should the club fail to secure Champions League football, with Sir Jim Ratcliffe, Sir David Brailsford and incoming sporting director Dan Ashworth eyeing up some big moves behind the scenes.