Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag is now dealing with a variety of issues, including a dearth of available players.
There has been much criticism of Manchester United’s early season record, and there have also been off-field incidents that have served as a major distraction.
This Saturday, United will have a chance to get back on track, and it will not be against a weak Brighton side.
The magnitude of the challenge is demonstrated by a full XI of players that are either unavailable, injured, or have severe doubts 48 hours before the game.
Manchester United’s starting XI is either unavailable or injured
It’s a worrying state of affairs that Manchester United has a full XI of players who could be unavailable for selection in gameweek five just one month into the 2023/24 season.
These players include Jadon Sancho and Antony, who are both out until further notice. Sancho’s absence is due to a club discipline issue, while Antony’s is due to a legal concern.
The remaining players are out due to injury, albeit there is a minor chance that one or two knocks will heal quickly, hence the proviso of ‘injury doubt’ rather than saying all of these players are definitely out this weekend.
Who has a chance to return to Manchester United in the future?
Mason Mount, Sofyan Amrabat, Lisandro Martinez, and Kobbie Mainoo are the players most likely to return from this group, followed by Tom Heaton.
Amrabat suffered an injury that forced him to miss international service, but The Telegraph reports that he may be able to play this weekend. Everything will become evident very shortly.
Mason Mount is expected to make his return against Bayern Munich next week, according to The Athletic.
Martinez could be available this weekend, but he was not named to either of Argentina’s matchday teams over the break.
There is a best-case scenario in which all of these difficulties are resolved and the players are ready to face Brighton.
Manchester United fans, on the other hand, have already learned to expect the worst in 2023/24.
