Manchester United are heading into their Europa League clash against Jose Mourinho’s Fenerbahce on Thursday severely understrength, with eight first-team players missing from the squad. Manager Erik ten Hag faces a difficult task in Turkey, as injuries and suspensions have significantly depleted his options.
Key Absentees
- Bruno Fernandes (Suspension): United’s captain will be sidelined due to suspension, leaving a major void in midfield. Fernandes’ creativity and leadership will be sorely missed.
- Mason Mount (Injury): The summer signing has struggled with injuries this season, and he remains unavailable for the Fenerbahce match.
- Kobbie Mainoo (Injury): The young midfielder, highly regarded for his performances, is still out with an injury, further limiting United’s midfield depth.
- Dan Gore (Injury): Another youth prospect who has impressed but remains sidelined with an injury.
- Toby Collyer (Injury): Collyer’s absence adds to United’s growing injury list in midfield.
- Lisandro Martinez (Injury): United’s defensive line is also weakened by the continued absence of Martinez, whose injury has left a big gap at the back.
- Luke Shaw (Injury): The English left-back is still out, forcing Ten Hag to reshuffle his defensive options.
- Tyrell Malacia (Injury): The young left-back is another casualty in defense, further limiting United’s full-back choices.
Ten Hag’s Confidence
Despite the challenges, Ten Hag remains optimistic about United’s chances. He expressed confidence in the players available, highlighting their experience and resilience:
“The players who are available have to do the job and they are capable of doing the job. I think we have enough players in the team that are so experienced. We’ve faced such situations more often. It’s a motivation, it’s really good for us.”
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