Manchester United manager Erik Ten Hag acknowledges squad 'not fully prepared' for Premier League opener against Fulham

As Manchester United gears up for the 2024-25 Premier League opener against Fulham on Saturday (Aug 17), manager Erik Ten Hag has expressed his worries about the team not being adequately prepared for the upcoming season. The Red Devils, who will start the season at Old Trafford, face a daunting challenge to make a strong comeback after failing to secure a top-four finish in the previous season. The late arrival of some new signings and ongoing injury issues have only added to Ten Hag's concerns about their readiness for the crucial opener.

Notably, new signings Matthijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui joined the squad on Thursday and, thus, have limited training opportunities. Meanwhile, defender Luke Shaw is sidelined with a calf injury, new recruit Leny Yoro is out for three months due to foot injury, and forward Rasmus Hojlund is battling a hamstring issue.

Thus, Ten Hag stated before the PL opener, "The team is not ready but the league starts. There are more managers who definitely have this problem but we have to make a start. We can’t hide from it. We can’t run away from it. We have to deal with it."

Also read: Four arrested after Spanish teen star Lamine Yamal's father stabbed

Ten Hag has a lot on his plate. He has to solve a selection problem at left-back, with Shaw unavailable due to a calf injury and Tyrell Malacia out of action for another two months -- being on recovery process post a knee surgery. It is believed that Mazraoui could be one answer whereas Diogo Dalot and Lisandro Martinez filled in during last Saturday's Community Shield.

The Dutchman said, "It's not about the players who are not available. It's also what I said always last season: it's about the players who are available and we have a good group, we can make a strong selection."

Ten Hag is positive about Shaw's swift return. He hasn't played for United since early this year, due to hamstring injury, although he was fit enough for England's campaign in Euro 2024, where they ended second. 

In this regard, Ten Hag added, "He will return in the short term. It doesn't take long. Luke is a very important player for our team so we want to get him back as soon as possible but we can't force this process."

Despite a lot of criticism, Ten Hag continues as Man United manager especially following the Red Devils' FA Cup win over Manchester City in late May. He will hope to silence his critics by leading the former PL champions' comeback in the new season.