Ten Hag: United ‘Not Ready’ for Opener

London, Aug 16: Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has acknowledged that his team is “not ready” for the new Premier League season, despite the availability of new signings Matthijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui, who joined the squad from Bayern Munich just days before the season opener.

United will kick off their campaign against Fulham at Old Trafford on Friday, but Ten Hag expressed concern over the limited time to integrate new players into the squad.

“It’s true, this hasn’t been the typical pre-season where you have five to six weeks to work on building a team. It’s been very complicated,” Ten Hag said during a press conference on Thursday. “We had the USA tour squad, then added players returning from the Euros and Copa America, and now we have new signings. We have to make a team out of it.”

The Dutch manager emphasized that while the team may not be fully prepared, the league’s start cannot be delayed. “That team is not ready, but the league starts, and many managers face this problem. We have some room to work, some principles in place, and we have to make a start. We can’t hide; we have to deal with it.”

Harry Maguire will return to the squad for Friday’s match after missing England’s Euro 2024 campaign due to injury recovery. However, left-back Luke Shaw, who played in England’s final three games at Euro 2024 despite a hamstring injury, will not be available for the season opener.

“He will return in the short term; it won’t take long,” Ten Hag said. “Luke Shaw is a very important player for us, and we want him back as soon as possible, but we can’t rush this process.”

In Shaw’s absence, Ten Hag mentioned that Mazraoui, Lisandro Martinez, and Diogo Dalot could all cover the left-back position.

Last season, Ten Hag faced significant speculation about his job as United finished eighth in the Premier League. However, the 54-year-old secured his future at the club by signing a new contract until 2026 after leading the team to an FA Cup victory over Manchester City.

Looking ahead to the new season, Ten Hag expressed confidence in his squad. “We know our targets, we know our direction,” he said. “Now we have to integrate new players to improve the team and take it from there. Our expectations are always high; we want to compete for trophies.