3Manchester United begin their Europa League campaign against FC Twente on Wednesday, and their training session gave plenty of signs about their state of mind.
Manchester United have been working hard at Carrington ahead of their first Europa League match of the season against FC Twente.
United were forced to lick their wounds after a dismal 0-0 draw with Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park on Saturday. They’ve had a poor start in the Premier League, winning only two of their five games and scoring only five goals, three of which came against struggling Southampton.
Erik ten Hag understands that he needs to make some improvements quickly. His efforts to do so have been aided by players returning from the treatment table. Rasmus Hojlund and Mason Mount returned for the Palace game, giving hope that things are improving behind the scenes at United.
On Tuesday, the players exercised at Carrington in preparation for Wednesday’s 8 p.m. kickoff at Old Trafford versus Twente. Here are the things Mirror Football observed in the images.Marcus Rashford made headlines leading up to the Palace game after being placed on the bench by Ten Hag despite scoring three goals in the previous two meetings. He struck a furious figure on the bench in south London and was unable to affect the game after coming on in the 61st minute.
Ten Hag went to his defence after the game, dismissing Jamie Redknapp’s suggestion about why he was dropped. We were assured it was only rotation, and Rashford appeared delighted at training on Tuesday, maybe because he knows he’ll be back in the starting lineup on Wednesday.
Malacia is being eased backTyrell Malacia has become somewhat of a forgotten guy at United, having missed the entire season due to injury. The Dutch left-back was greeted warmly upon his return to training last week and is overjoyed to be back with the first-team group.
Malacia missed preseason and hasn’t played since May 2023, so United’s coaches will be cautious about rushing him back into competitive football. Luke Shaw is also still unavailable, and Ten Hag provided an update on Tuesday.
When asked if he will be ready before the next international break, which begins following United’s visit to Aston Villa on Sunday, October 6, Ten Hag said: “I suppose certainly, but I’m not 100 percent sure. The aim is simply to return earlier, but as I already stated, I cannot guarantee this. It might be shortly after the break.
Tyrell Malacia has become somewhat of a forgotten guy at United, having missed the entire season due to injury. The Dutch left-back was greeted warmly upon his return to training last week and is overjoyed to be back with the first-team group.
Malacia missed preseason and hasn’t played since May 2023, so United’s coaches will be cautious about rushing him back into competitive football. Luke Shaw is also still unavailable, and Ten Hag provided an update on Tuesday.
When asked if he will be ready before the next international break, which begins following United’s visit to Aston Villa on Sunday, October 6, Ten Hag said: “I suppose certainly, but I’m not 100 percent sure. The aim is simply to return earlier, but as I already stated, I cannot guarantee this. It might be shortly after the break.
Bruno Fernandes leads the pack at United. As club captain and with a very competitive mindset, he ensures that training is done at a high level. So, while there were lots of smiles at Carrington, there was also an appropriate degree of attention.
This was demonstrated during a ball-control battle between Fernandes and Alejandro Garnacho. Fernandes is seen trying to hold off the young winger before responding by grabbing his face.
One of the positives from the Palace game was Rasmus Hojlund’s return to fitness, as he made his first appearance of the season after suffering a hamstring injury in preseason against Arsenal.
The Danish international has been missed, leaving Joshua Zirkzee to face the pressure up front. Hojlund came on in the 76th minute at Selhurst Park and will be looking for another opportunity against Twente following a successful training session on Tuesday.United are now in a weird situation. They had a poor attacking record in the Premier League, averaging only one goal per game after scoring 57 in 38 games in 2023/24, although they had scored 10 in a few days prior to the Palace match.
“We have to kill in the box,” Ten Hag said during Tuesday’s news conference. Clearly, a lack of cutting-edge and precision finishing within the penalty area is a concern. Ruud van Nistelrooy, the former United striker signed by Ten Hag in the summer, could fix this issue. Van Nistelrooy was a brilliant striker in his day and has to get Rashford, Hojlund, Zirkzee, and others in shape – and quickly.
